Tuesday, March 10, 1998
Contact: Melissa Forsythe or Mark Pfeiffer
(502) 564-2611

Governor, First Lady Applaud Passage of Child Protection Bill

"Today means a better and safer life for many Kentucky children. It may even be life saving for some." That’s how first lady Judi Patton reacted to the passage of child protection legislation, approved by the Kentucky Senate today , 35 to 0. HB 142 contains an emergency provision and will become law upon the governor’s signature.

Governor Paul Patton and the first lady pushed for the bill to place the welfare of the child first in abusive and life-threatening circumstances. The administration first proposed the legislation in the 1996 Kentucky General Assembly after the death of a four year old Leslie County child . Governor Patton said today, "Judi has worked tirelessly on behalf of Kentucky’s children to protect them from harm, and thanks to the members of the legislature, Kentucky has done the right thing for those who so desperately need our help."

Judi Patton testified on behalf of the bill before both chambers . She said, "What this bill does is make us listen to and hear the small voices of children in Kentucky." Mrs. Patton told lawmakers that child abuse and neglect deprive children of their childhood. Over 25-thousand children annually in Kentucky are abused or neglected. She called the bill a way to make these small victims Kentucky’s main concern .

The bills provisions include:

• lowering the standards required for emergency intervention
• adding new grounds for parental rights termination in cases with a history of abuse or neglect of a child
• expediting the judicial process for terminating parental rights.

The governor called Judi Patton "the heart behind the bill."

A bill signing ceremony will be scheduled.

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