POLK POLITICIAN GETS NATIONAL FACE TIME

Flipping around the national newscasts last evening, I came across a report on the CBS Evening News regarding how the judicial waiver section of Florida's parential notification abortion law has affected the ability of minor girls to terminate their pregnancies. This in the wake of last week's decision by the United States Supreme Court sending New Hampshire's law back to Concord for more work.

Since Florida's judicial waiver section took effect in July, 80 percent (96) of the 120 young girls who have sought the exception from parential notification have received it. Judges are allowed to use three criteria in deciding upon ruling for a waiver: The maturity of the child, evidence of abuse by her parents/guardians, and if the judge feels it is in the best interest of the child to allow her pregnancy to be terminated.

State Representative John Stargel (R - Lakeland) believes the law should be toughened, and stated that position while getting some major face time during the CBS piece.

"I think this is a rubber stamp for violating the parents' constitutional right to know what's going on in their minor child's life...We've gone from a culture of where we had 'Father Knows Best' on TV to 'Father doesn't need to know what's going on in your life'".

The report also noted a CBS News poll showing the 80% of those responding agree that at least one parent should be notified before their minor daughter terminates their pregnancy.

BTW: The Randall Pinkston report mentions at the end that 90 percent of Florida teens do tell their parents before having an abortion.