The Missouri House of Representatives passed Ethan's Law, a bill requiring operators of for-profit, privately owned swimming pools to maintain adequiate liability insurance, by a 143 to 5 vote today.
All area legislators voted for the bill, which was sponsored by Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, and co-sponsored by Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, Ed Emery, R-Lamar, Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho, and David Sater, R-Cassville.
The bill, which is HB 1341, is named after six-year-old Ethan Cory, who drowned at The Swimmin' Hole in Joplin on July 17, 2007.
2 comments:
I am still unclear as to how that $1Million liability policy is going to jump in and save a drowning child. In my opinion, the fault for this tragedy lies with both the water park and the organization that little Ethan came with. The waterpark failed to provide an adequate number of lifeguards to keep a visual on all occupants. The organization that Ethan came with is at fault for failing to provide enough chaperones to give the care and protection that they were responsible for. No matter how much liability insurance the park had or did not this tragedy would still have happened due to the lack of watchfulness and care taken by the lifeguards and chaperones. Once again our inept, out-of-touch legislators pass meaningless legislation that will do very little for protecting the lives of people in waterparks.
Trent-
Let's talk ineptitude. Do you not understand how insurance works? Rather than create a BIG government agency as the DEMS would have, Rep. Ruestman chose a different approach. The free market. I know this is a new concept for democrats, but it works. An insurance company will regulate the pools to require they meet certain safety standards, prior to insuring them. If the pools do not meet the minimum standards, they will not get insured and will be breaking the law. I find it funny that you bash the bill while Ethan's parents testify in support of it.
Out-of-touch, huh? When was the last time you wrote your lawmakers? I believe the public is who is out-of-touch as most of them couldn't name two Reps from the Joplin area.
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