State House approves medical amnesty bill
October 21, 2009
Minors who drink too much and need medical attention might be more inclined to dial 911 if legislation passed Wednesday by the state House of Representatives becomes law.
Legislators overwhelmingly voted in favor of a bill sponsored by state Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, that would provide immunity from a MIP to minors who seek help after overconsuming alcohol. Minors who call for help on another's behalf also would be exempt.
ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government, has lobbied in support of the bill and claimed another victory in its fight after it was passed by the House with 98 representatives in favor, seven opposed and five either absent or abstaining during voting.
The group has worked for almost a year to lobby for medical amnesty initiatives, said Marvin Yates, ASMSU's director of governmental affairs. Several group officials testified in support of the bill Oct. 14 in front of the House Judiciary Committee, which Meadows chairs. The committee almost unanimously approved the legislation and it was referred to the full House for voting.
Yates said ASMSU now has its sights set on the state Senate, which likely will refer the bill to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.
The group plans on approaching the issue from multiple angles by meeting with senators from that committee and addressing any questions or concerns other Senate members raise with the bill, he said.
"We'll kind of just first find out what some opposition may be, why some of (the senators) might be opposed to the bill and then build a stronger strategy," Yates said.
Meadows said the large number of votes in favor of the bill shows the amount of support it has garnered from various organizations and municipalities, such as the Ingham County medical examiner, the Prosecuting Attorney's Association of Michigan, or PAAM, and the city of East Lansing.
"I'm real happy that it is passed and I'll be even happier if it gets passed by the Senate and signed," he said.
Meadows said he will wait to see which Senate committee the bill is referred to and then work with the committee's chair to discuss the legislation's further passage.
"As soon as I find out where it's assigned, I'll contact the committee chair and see what kind of prospects we have," Meadows said.
State Sen. Wayne Kuipers, R-Holland, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment on the bill's chance of passing in the Senate. However, state Sen. Liz Brater, D-Ann Arbor, said the bill stands a good chance because it has been endorsed by PAAM.
Brater introduced a similar bill to the Senate in March. Although that bill has not been discussed in the Senate committee, Brater said she was glad to see Meadows' bill making its way through the Legislature.
"I'm very happy that Representative Meadows took up the bill and (it) went through the House," Brater said. "I think (the endorsement) would help."
ASMSU's Student Assembly Chairperson Kyle Dysarz said the group's effort in favor of medical amnesty legislation has inspired other state universities' student government groups, such as Saginaw Valley State University's, to bring the issue to light on their campuses.
Dysarz said ASMSU continues to work with other universities to support the legislation.
That Meadows' bill passed by such a wide margin is a testament to the legislation's importance and the bipartisan effort to pass it, he said.
Originally Published: 10/21/09 11:40pm
