House passes Morrell child-abandonment bill

Measure prompted by near tragedy in Puyallup

March 6, 2009

OLYMPIA—When Puyallup firefighters rescued a 22-month-old boy from an apartment fire last May-after his mother had abandoned the child and left a cigarette burning as she drove to an Arby's for a meal-it was not the end of the story.

As reported by the Puyallup Herald on Jan. 2, the Puyallup Police Department asked Rep. Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup, to help prevent similar tragedies by making it a crime to abandon a dependent person in dangerous circumstances.

On Friday, the House of Representatives voted 70-27 to pass Morrell's response: a proposed law that would make it a misdemeanor to leave a child under age 8 alone without making sure they are safe. The bill is limited to circumstances that reflect criminal negligence and create a substantial risk of bodily harm or extreme emotional distress.

"The Puyallup Police Department provided real leadership in showing why law enforcement needed another tool in the toolbox to protect young children and other dependents from abandonment," said Morrell. "We've worked very hard to craft a law that will protect children from harm while being understanding of the time pressures facing moms and dads."

In persuading the House to pass the legislation, Morrell also pointed to another incident in Puyallup where a mother shut her toddler in a room, tied the door closed, and went clubbing in Seattle. Neighbors were alerted to the dangerous situation by the child's screams.

Morrell's legislation has been sent to the Senate Human Services & Corrections Committee for further consideration.

This is the third year in a row that Morrell has sponsored legislation requested by the Puyallup Police Department. In 2007, the department asked for a new law to make it harder for metal thieves to fence their stolen goods. In 2008, they requested an expanded metal theft law to target the theft of catalytic converters. In both cases, Morrell drew up legislation to address the requests, pulled together support, and got the legislation passed into law.

"I hope we can make this the third year in a row that the Puyallup Police Department has inspired a good state law," said Morrell. "This is really a law we need to pass for the sake of keeping young children safe."

House Bill 1234 is now being considered by the Senate.

# # #