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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

EOB: Idaho Still Only State w/o Child Death Review

A Senate committee chairwoman has blocked legislation that would have ended Idaho's distinction as the only state in the nation with no system for reviewing child deaths. Senate Health and Welfare Chairwoman Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, said Idaho doesn't need to review child deaths if every other state is already doing it. "We can use the information that they've gathered," she said. "If they're already doing it, what could be different in a child death in Utah or Montana that we wouldn't have here? Why reinvent the wheel all the time?” House Bill 511 passed the House on March 17 on a 63-5 vote, and it cleared Lodge's committee on a voice vote after a public hearing. But Lodge then asked the Senate to return the bill to her committee, where it's now dead/Betsy Russell, SR Eye On Boise. More here

*No new prison this year
*ITD audit bill passes Senate
*House passes Clark's "subsidy for developers" bill
*Craig-Wyden replacement bill passes Senate
*Governor lashes back at lawmakers with veto

Question: Please explain to me how someone as clueless as Patti Anne Lodge can become chairwoman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee?



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.