Virginia--BOOSTER LAW to KAINE!

Ladies, it passed the house.

Now it's on to Governor Kaine.

The measure, HB1908, passed the House by a 56-to-42 vote on Saturday. An identical bill, SB1060, moved the through the Senate on a 33-to-5 vote Wednesday.

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Someone else who understands:

The author of the House bill - Del. David Albo, R-Fairfax - said he knows it would inconvenience parents and their children. But he said one consideration overrides all of the hassles: safety.

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Perhaps someone should tell Delagate Saxman---it's better than having to by just one casket each:

This bill puts government in a position of telling parents what we can and cannot do with our own children in our own car," said Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, a father of four. "I'll have to buy booster seats for my car, my wife's car, my mother's car, my father's car and our sitter's car."

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The page on the bill.

How they voted:
YEAS--Albo, Amundson, Athey, BaCote, Barlow, Bell, Bowling, Brink, Bulova, Callahan, Caputo, Carrico, Cosgrove, Dance, Ebbin, Eisenberg, Fralin, Gear, Hall, Hargrove, Hull, Iaquinto, Johnson, Jones, S.C., Lewis, Lingamfelter, Lohr, Marsden, Marshall, D.W., Marshall, R.G., May, McClellan, McEachin, McQuigg, Moran, O'Bannon, Orrock, Phillips, Plum, Poisson, Purkey, Rust, Scott, J.M., Shannon, Sherwood, Shuler, Sickles, Spruill, Suit, Tata, Toscano, Valentine, Waddell, Ward, Watts, Mr. Speaker--56.

NAYS--Abbitt, Alexander, Armstrong, Byron, Cline, Cole, Cox, Crockett-Stark, Dudley, Frederick, Gilbert, Griffith, Hamilton, Hogan, Howell, A.T., Hurt, Ingram, Janis, Joannou, Jones, D.C., Kilgore, Landes, Melvin, Miller, J.H., Miller, P.J., Morgan, Nixon, Nutter, Oder, Peace, Putney, Rapp, Reid, Saxman, Scott, E.T., Tyler, Wardrup, Ware, O., Ware, R.L., Welch, Wittman, Wright--42.

ABSTENTIONS--0.

NOT VOTING--Englin, Hugo--2.

So, ladies let Kaine know why we need this law!

Oh..

Virginia now mandates that children ride in car seats until age 6. If Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signs it, the new law would go into effect July 1.

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That's this year!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SO glad that it passed the House of Delegates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My "local guys" all voted "YES." Albo, Amundson, Brink, Callahan, Caputo, Bulova, Ebbin, Eisenberg, Englin, Hull, Marsden, Moran, Plum, Rust, Scott, Shannon, Sickles, Watts. Horray for them!!!
Hugo didn't vote

Awesome! Why don't these people just show a couple of crash test videos and pull out the mortality stats for children in the 4-12 age range? Compelling enough on its own, it would seem.

A big fat WAAAHHHHH-burger for the guy who'll have to buy a half-dozen boosters for all of those cars....

Ummmm, you're making six figures (likely). You can't fork out a few hundred bucks to keep your kids safe?

I know!

Buy a couple really good boosters for the cars in which the kids ride on a regular basis. Boosters transport so well that it is easy to put them in a different vehicle. Have grandma keep a couple cheap boosters at her house for emergencies. Boosters are relatively cheap.

I completely understand that not everyone can afford to buy a bunch of seats. I know that could cause a financial hardship for some. I don't mean to assume that all people can afford to buy a bunch of boosters. But boosters are cheaper than hospital bills.

A couple of years ago (2002??), Ford was handing out the "Boost America" coupons that could be used to get a free booster from Toys R Us. I got about a dozen of the Evenflo Right Fit (was that the name?) boosters. I had to pay tax on them ($1.03 each), but I was able to hand them out to people I worked with who had their 4 and 5-year-olds in the regular seatbelt. I know that a backless booster isn't the best choice for a 4-year-old, but it was certainly better than having the kids in the seatbelt alone!! Maybe there could be a program like that again... that would be great!!!

I hope it passes...mine will be in booster at that age regardless of the law, but it would still be nice to have it be the law!

When I read the guy's comment about buying all those boosters, I was thinking "WHY!?" Booster don't "install" in the car...all you have to do is move the booster to the other car and put the kid in it...what on earth is so hard about that!? I could see buying a booster for both parents' cars, but for cars the kids aren't going to be in often, that's pointless. I think that's just a lame excuse to keep his kids out of the booster they probably do need!

I am so dissapointed in Ingram and Kilgore. They both know better. grrrrrr

I'm not sure I understand - doesn't VA law require children to be in a child safety seat until age 6 already?

The new law ups the age to 8.

vamom see the thread titled carseat law virginians. has relavent links.

skater is correct, the proposed new law is up to age 8 and all it needs is the gov'ner to sign it.

That is good news!