This bill is common sense. But democrat Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe refused to allow the bill to leave her committee, first saying that it was bad policy; then attempting to blame the sponsor of the bill because he wasn't there at the beginning of the executive session; because he passed out copies of newspaper articles while a witness was testifying on another bill... and so on.... and so on.
All of which, of course, begs the issue.
There is only one question to be considered when a bill surfaces to be "exec-ed out." And that question is this: Is the bill right for the people of the state of Washington?
Clearly, this bill is. It is a bill written as a result of the alleged actions of a teacher.... a teacher now accused of rape.... a teacher who had been caught with pornography in the classroom before... but who only received a 60 day, during-the-summer suspension... winding up back in the classroom where, it is alleged, he victimized a 14 year old girl... repeatedly.
Had this bill been in place, this alleged rape would not have taken place.
Sen. McAuliffe has stated where her concern lays. Her concern is with the teacher's union. She tells us "she would have allowed a vote on an amended version that preserved OSPI's option to hand out a lesser penalty."
A lesser penalty? A LESSER PENALTY?
Why?
How could any responsible public official even conceive of a circumstance where a teacher viewing porn on a school computer.... or possessing pornography on any school campus... should not permanently lose their license to teach?
The Washington Education Association, the main teacher's union of this state, apparently can.
The idea that OSPI should continue to have some leeway on this issue is bizarre beyond absurd. They had THIS call to make... and proved they could not make the right choice.
With the recent epidemic of teacher student rape across the country, it is incumbent upon our elected legislators to ramp up the penalties against those we trust... so that if they violate that trust, they are not afforded the opportunity to do so a second time.
Sen. McAuliffe's actions in this matter are inexcusable and unconscionable. She should lose control of the Senate Education Committee... and resign from the senate. She has proven herself incapable of rising above partisan and union politics to protect the people of this state.
She should be ashamed. Her Party should be ashamed. The WEA should be ashamed.
But they won't be, of course. Because that's just who they are.
Legislature: Benton rails against por* [sic] bill's death
Friday, March 4, 2005
By DON JENKINS, Columbian staff writer
OLYMPIA - Vancouver Sen. Don Benton lashed out Thursday at the chairwoman of the Senate education committee for opposing his bill cracking down on teachers who peruse pornography at school. The attack's target said she won't be "bullied" by Benton.
Benton, a Republican, staged a press conference to denounce Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, for opposing Senate Bill 5677, which would have automatically and permanently banned from the classroom teachers caught with porn on campus.
He also released a letter accusing her of "backhanded tactics to kill the bill."
Commented McAuliffe: "That was not very good. He actually impugned my integrity."
Well, guess what, Senator. In this case... you had it coming.
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