INSANITY CONTINUES: IOWA TEEN DUMPED AT NEBRASKA HOSPITAL

Just when we thought it can't get any worse, it does! This just in from the Associated Press: 14-year old Iowa girl abandoned under Nebraska law."

Yes, folks, that's right. Now, they're hauling their unwanted kids in from out-of-state. According to the wire, the unfortunate girl is from Council Bluffs,Iowa, just across the state line from Omaha. She was abandoned--oh, excuse me--"safe havened"--at Creighton University Medical Center (where the 9 Statons were dumped last month) by her mother. No details have been released yet, but Nebraska DFS spokesperson Todd Landry says Nebraska law may not apply, since the girl and her mother are from out-of-state.

But why wouldn't it apply? There is nothing in the law that says no outsiders need apply.

Again, for late comers, here is the ENTIRE text of the law:

Section 1. No person shall be prosecuted for any crime based solely upon the act of leaving a child in the custody of an employee on duty at a hospital licensed by the State of Nebraska. The hospital shall promptly contact appropriate authorities to take custody of the child.

Parents are home free. No blame. No shame, No name. Oops! Scratch that last one! All of Nebraska's dumpess are preteens and teens. Can't have anonymity there!

As I wrote back on July 17, when the Nebraska law went into effect, in Nebraska Safe Haven Law: Tired of Your Kid? :

Actually on closer look, this isn't a "Baby Safe Haven" law at all. It's decriminalization of child abandonment dressed up in fashionable safe haven bombastia.

And that's what they they got. (I'll drop the pig and lipstick homily). Politicians and DFS can try to clean it up all they want. They can put out their press releases and hold their press conferences, and beg parents, "that's not what we really meant." But not only the horse, but the cows and the chickens and the pigs (with lipstick--ok, I lied!) are out of the barn.

State officials knew what they were doing. when they enacted HB 157. They admit it. (I'll write about that later). Now, they are shocked...shocked...that nearly 20 parents or "guardians" have taken them up on their offer to take their kids off their hands, no questions asked.

Todd Landry says DFS has sent a formal report on the Iowa dumpee to the Iowa child abuse hotline.

Hotline????? Can't DFS read their own law?

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In my July 17, blog I also facetiously threatened to take my obnoxious teenage neighbor--the one who jumps on the hoods of cars at 3:00 AM (and I'm not making this up!)--on a road trip to Omaha. Since the governor and cronies seem reluctant to call a special session to repeal this crackpot bill I guess I still have time to ditch her. It's for her own good. And for the good of the neighbors. And it's better and cheaper than Ritalin.

I hate to be Trotskyte about this whole thing, but the longer this goes on, the easier it will be to discredit baby dump laws. THANK YOU NEBRASKA, for making our job that much easier. Implode, Baby, Implode!