Ed McLaughlin and Don Van Etten sign up for the Nanny State

Two Rapid City Legislators who currently pretend to be Republican are advocating for more government intrusion into people's lives today at the Rapid City Journal.

Representatives Ed McLaughlin and Don Van Etten held a press conference to try to gain momentum for an overturn of the Governor's Veto on the Booster Seat Bill requiring 7 year olds to be strapped in cars (even though they could ride to baseball practice on their bicycles without a helmet.):
“The bottom line comes down to either we’re for safety or we’re not,” Rep. Ed McLaughlin, R-Rapid City, said Wednesday at a press conference at the Rapid City office of the South Dakota AAA.

House Bill 1189 would have required children ages 5 through 7 to sit in booster seats.

“Adult lap belts and shoulder belts do not fit the anatomy of these kids,” Rep. Don Van Etten, R-Rapid City, said.
Read the whole sorry nanny-state tale here.

Here's a question - if it's so darn proven that the seat belts don't fit correctly, why aren't they advocating that anyone under a certain height has to use them regardless of age?

I'll tell you - because people would laugh them out of the Legislature for it, as they should rightfully do so for their support of this boobish intrusion into people's lives. Maybe next session, they'll make us wear motorcycle helmets, and save us from red meat, ammunition, and cooking with butter.

Don Van Etten and Ed McLaughlin. Signing up for "Nanny 911" to help save us from ourselves.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Wasn't the whole seat belt law and attempted helmet law a Republican effort?
Anonymous said…
This is CRAP! If they are going that far, how about a bill aimed at youth who almost lay down when they drive. How about some of those folks who are about 4'2" we can't see drving, why aren't they in a booster seat. Hell that would be infriging on adults... this is the same thing.
Common sense is common sense.
People need to be responsible not the government. When will the governmental approved book on how to put on pants come out...people can not think for themselves you know.
Anonymous said…
We can thank former Senator Jim Lawler-D, from Brown County for the original seatbelt law in South Dakota.
Anonymous said…
Right on, 9:09. Those stupid little seven-year-olds need to step up, take responsibility, and use some common sense.
Anonymous said…
10:25 A Aono. Get real, it is the parents and those hauling kids around who need to be responsible! Gezzz, does the government have to tell people when to go to the bathroom. I guess they must.
Who do the kids belong to the state or parents. THe way things are going the state or nation is going to have total control. Then who will be screaming!
Anonymous said…
We should protect our children! I think we should start right away. When the baby comes into the world a government employee should take the baby right away and place them in a disease free environment. They can be taught all the right things at the right times.

9:09 I sure hope there are a lot more people with a brain like you. Tell every Liberal to move to San Francisco.
Anonymous said…
McLaughlin and Van Etten have finally come out of the closet! It must be liberating to finally admit that they are flaming liberals.

McLaughlin's comment made me laugh! “The bottom line comes down to either we’re for safety or we’re not.” If he's sooo bent on safety, he would be honest about it and introduce a bill to ban all forms of travel that go faster than the Flintstone's car (which was foot-pedalled--for those of you born after 1970).

Van Etten's comment, too was a riot! “Adult lap belts and shoulder belts do not fit the anatomy of these kids.” Dr. Van Etten, then why did your precious bill establish an arbitrary age at which people could escape the bonds of the booster seat? If it's about what fits, you should darn-well recognize that just because a person turns nine years of age, that doesn't mean the lap belt and shoulder belt all of a sudden says "Oh, this child is now nine. I will no longer hurt him the way Dr. Van Etten knows I hurt children who are eight."

McLaughlin and Van Etten share a lack of vision, lack of common sense, lack of credibility, and a love for bigger government to compensate for what they perceive as people's inability to make good decisions for themselves. Well, they also share last names that contain two capital letters.

One is a McMoron, and the other a VanNimrod.
Anonymous said…
8:52, the answer is "no". Seat belt laws were mandated by the socialists in D.C. Janklow, being a closet socialist was more than happy to carry their water. He'll be supporting Heidepriem in a couple years, too. Just watch.

1:30, haha! If there wasn't an age specified in the bill, Tom Daschle would have to sit in a booster seat!
Anonymous said…
11:11 - Are you picking up the sarcasm, because I'm laying it on pretty thick. You're exactly right - it is the the parents and kid-haulers who need to be responsible and use common sense. The problem is lazy bums like Powers who'd rather save a few bucks and about 30 seconds instead of being responsible parents. It's the kids who end up getting hurt.

Why should they have to pay for the lack of common sense and responsibility of their parents? If one of Powers's kids gets crippled or paralyzed in a wreck, who's going to be paying for that kid the rest of his life?
PP said…
Anon 10:25 -

Obviously you don't know me, because anyone who does could tell you I'm more overprotective than anything. But by the same token, it's my choice.

And that's my choice - not the government's.

My problem is when Government decides to ridiculously overstep it's boundaries as it is in this instance.
Anonymous said…
To all; Yep I post as a ANON;
If i could vote on this bill it would be a NO!
LIke i said it is the parents and those hauling kids around who need to be responsible NOT the Government.
Lives are saved and lives are lost due to seat belts, yes more lives are saved. Believe me the public schools also let kids know the facts. I am not opposed to using them but i don't think the government needs to make a law.
Tell you a short and a TRUE story. When one of my children was born they had many health problems. ONE was the baby could NOT be in a car seat and had to lay flat on their back. To the doctor we would go about 2 times a week for about 1 yr then for the next 3 years it was a little less often.
So i had to go to all the surrounding towns police and sheriffs office and give them copy a doctors note so if for some dang reason i was pulled over and they saw this little bitty baby lying on the floor with a bumper pad around him i would not get fined, have social service called on me, possible risk of losing my driving lic etc. Do ya get my drift. He was close to 4 before he could handle the position of a car seat. He is well today and WEARS his seatbelt! Not because the government says so, it is because he heard it in school, home, and other friends and family.
Like I said when he was a baby it was nothing but a headache more ways than one and believe me not all the police knew, do you think they would remember this. at that time it was not on file. Just that little piece of paper from the doc.
Like i said it is all common sense.
Tell ya another thing when you have a car load of kids it would be pure insanity to have them up and down and going all over the place. If someone is doing that well they must be *&(^. Who is supposed to be in control! PARENTS and those in charge at the time.
Anonymous said…
For 8:52 am, Don'tknow about the very start of the whole thing but I believe the seatbelt law came from Washington when Congress was controlled by Dems.

In the House this bill had 18 Dems and 19 Reps voting for it. 2 Dems and 31 Reps against it. There are a lot of libs in the Rep party.
Anonymous said…
11:18 is right on. And remember that the dems used the threat of loss of Federal Hwy dollars as the club to get those upstart state gov's and legislatures to go along.

pp, you see what I said about all issues being debated on progressive terms. "it's all about the children..."
Anonymous said…
I still can't get over some actually referring to Rep. Van Etten as a flaming liberal. Wow, I wish people would be a little more informed about our legislators than only what they read on SD War College.

Van Etten was one of four legislators out of 105 that voted against a motion to recognize Daschle's years of service to SD.

Van Etten is anything but a flaming liberal.
Anonymous said…
Van Etten does like to promote more and more regulations at least it seems over the last few years.
Anonymous said…
Freedom of choice--You don't have to put your kids in seat belts or booster seats but if you choose not to you will be forced to watch a video showing children not wearing seatbelts who have been injured or killed in accidents.
Anonymous said…
Poster: 7:19p

Keep twisting the words and meanings. Commom sense is all that is needed. If Americans are losing that much common sense we are in more trouble that i really figured.
Maybe it is time to get out of the "I only count" frame of mind.
Or people need to grow up and open their eyes.
Do you really think common sense needs to be regulated by laws?

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