W. Virginia Bill Would Yank Your Driver's License if Your Kid Misses Too Much School

by Tom Henderson (Subscribe to Tom Henderson's posts)
Jan 10th 2011 12:20PM

Filed under: In The News

Pull over, ma'am. No, you weren't driving too fast. Your kid is missing too much school. Credit: Getty

"Look at this note from school! Ten unexcused absences?! That tears it! Don't even think about going out with your friends this weekend. You just lost your driving privileges, Bucko!"

Sound familiar?

Actually, this is not the sound of you talking to your kids. It could be the sound of the state talking to you.

That is, if you happen to live in West Virginia.

The Parkersville News and Sentinel reports State Sen. Erik Wells has introduced a bill to yank your driver's license if your kid misses 10 or more days of school. You'd get a warning after the fifth unexcused absence.

The Democrat tells the News and Sentinel he knows this bill will go over about as well as Rush Limbaugh in a pole-vaulting contest. However, he wants to make a point.

"I think responsibility has to start somewhere, and it is the parents' responsibility as parents to put the welfare of their child first, and one of those aspects is to get the child to school," Wells tells the newspaper.

He adds perpetually absent kids should also lose their ability to participate in band, play sports or enjoy other extracurricular activities.

"There needs to be some consequences," Wells tells the News and Sentinel.

Yeah, maybe. But West Virginia's General Assembly has a lot of other issues nipping at its heels, the newspaper reports, including a bill adding five to 10 minutes to the school day. Lawmakers say this, too, will impress upon parents the importance of education.

All told, lawmakers have 2,000 bills staring at them this legislative session. Only 200, on average, become law. Wells tells the News and Sentinel he's not optimistic about his bill passing.

Nonetheless, he adds, he hopes his effort will spark discussion. It already has. The News and Sentinel reports West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee supports the bill.

"I think that one of the things a parent owes to a child that they bring into this world is to provide an environment to make sure they're in school," Wells tells the News and Sentinel. "I just have a hard time, as a parent, seeing how a parent would neglect their child, and I do think it's neglect ... You are hampering that child's ability to succeed in life by keeping them out of school and that's a disservice to that child."

Bills don't always have to be signed into law to be effective, Wells tells the News and Sentinel. Sometimes it's enough that legislation -- even futile legislation -- is introduced to let people know that lawmakers are doing something.

ReaderComments (Page 5 of 27)

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1-11-2011 @ 7:45AM

Jason said...

liberalism = total government control. Anyone not into liberalism should form groups and revolt against socialism.

BILL said...

What about kids that skip school? I used to drop my son off at school and watch him go in the door.He would then go out the side door and not go to class,are you going to make me lose my license ? Then I would be in jail for driveing without a license : (

1-11-2011 @ 8:30AM

ss_wi said...

Working in social services with parents of "challenging" youth, I see parents who are irresponsible, and parents who try VERY HARD to make sure their kids follow rules, attend school, stay off drugs, etc. But a parent cannot follow their kids 24/7. Parents may do the best they can to instill good values in their children and may have very appropriate consequences for their kids at home, but kids still have choices and some still choose to break laws in spite of the good things their parents try to do. If parent ARE enabling their children to avoid school when they could attend, or are making excuses for them or blaming others for their issues, then they should be held accountable along with their kids for school problems. But if the kids are causing their old problems, they should bear the consequences of their actions. Why punish parents who really have been trying? Figure out the problem, then make the punishment fit the crime.

1-11-2011 @ 7:51AM

Keith J. Mohrhoff said...

"...responsibility has to start somewhere, and it is the parents' responsibility as parents to put the welfare of their child first...",

First, what about the 'responsibility' of working to provide food, shelter and clothing? That is, after all what most parents a busy doing or trying to do--and its getting harder everyday!

Second, suspension of one's driver's license is supposed to be for abuses of the driving priviledge.

Thirdly, Senator Wells seems to believe that "legislation does not have to become law to be effective". Really? I think that when legislation fails to pass, those who really are irresponsible see it as a "green light" that their irresponsibility is a right protected by law. Much like when a parent or other authority figure proposes a punishment for a child and has their decision overturned by a higher power.

sally said...

OOOOOHHHHHH OOH OOH OOH I LIKE IT............PARENTS START PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR KIDS SCHOOLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY, IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEBODY STARTS DOING SOMETHING, ABOUT THESE BRATS WHO THINK THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO!!!!!!!

1-17-2011 @ 2:51PM

Meg said...

Until such time that it actually takes a valid driver's license to start a motor vehicle, there's no point in taking a driver's license or denying one: There's nothing to stop an unlicensed driver from operating a motor vehicle, unless such person actually obeys the law.

1-11-2011 @ 7:46AM

kathy said...

That is when I would take my child out of school and teach them
at home. The school systems already think they can do whatever
they want. It is a joke. No more power. It needs to stop now.

1-11-2011 @ 7:49AM

frank said...

How about the teacher being held resposible for a child that fails the class. If your child or teenager leaves the house in the morning for school and fails to show for class it is part of the schools resposibility also. This is rediculous, Parents have enough crap to deal with today (keeping our kids out of trouble) What happens during school hours should be the districts problem as well as the parents.

1-11-2011 @ 7:47AM

Maggie said...

Lisa, yes, if this is an example of governing, I demand that the government governs itself and finds ways to cut spending and keeps it's hands out of my pockets and private life as much as possible.

Madam Midwest said...

What idiot thought up this mess. You can NOT blame every parent for the choices that their child is making. I will testify about myself. My mother was a single woman and made sure I got to school everyday, but she had to go to work to pay ALL of the bills. When she would leave I would simply walk out the school doors. Who's fault is that? Not hers, it was MINES. How about designing a truency law and punish the child. A child have their own thoughts, and those that know right from worng, as a child may chose to do wrong....punish them.

3-05-2011 @ 10:37AM

RLQFogarty said...

Not a bad idea at all. However, I would also add a punishment for parents who get their kids to school late everyday, or pull them out of school early every Friday...I use to have a student who claimed to have to leave school on Fridays to visit the grandmother in another state. This ocurred all year long. Something tells me that they were headed out to New Orleans to party.

1-11-2011 @ 7:58AM

Becky said...

It's no wonder that people move from West Virigina and come across to Ohio! This is absurd! Sure, let's just send the kid to school with diarrhea, or throwing up! Can't miss school ya know! Or how about when the child has a SEVERE problem - what then? Is there some EXEMPTION for that child, or is this across the board!?

1-11-2011 @ 1:28PM

Ruukasu said...

They didn't say 10 general absences. They said 10 unexcused absences. However, there are some aspects of the bill that I don't agree with. The parents already pay in court costs and fines for their kid's truancy. Often, hearing what's wrong with the student from his/her parent(s), whether it is illness or a death in the family, is more verifiable than hearing from a student, not that they should be completely distrusted though.

Anyway, to Tom Henderson and those who report anything about West Virginia, stop abbreviating it as "W. Virginia"! Too many people already erroneously think that it means "Western Virginia". We got too many idiots outside WV who still don't know that it IS a state. WV has been a state since 1863, and, about 148 years later, some people still think it's part of Virginia?! NOW who are the idiots? How pathetic...

1-11-2011 @ 8:05AM

Ericka said...

What theyre not telling you is, being late twice counts as an Unexcused Absence. Now, couple that thought of mountain winters and school ISNT closed.
Now heres the reality in a stupid bill like this: People unable to work because of no DL. Welfare AND Unemployment rate going up higher than what it already is.
Last, do you think they care if your childs teacher is late every day? no. Are there consequences for that? no. Your childs teacher can also be absent as much as they like as well.
Apparently something needs to be done, but this isnt it. Why not try what Texas does. Give the parents a fine for kids under the age of 16, and over the age of 16 give the teen community service or weekend jail time.

3-05-2011 @ 10:40AM

As I read some of these comments I cannot help but cringe. It's obvious that people do not want to be held liable for their child's actions. Sorry parents, but it is your responsibility to teach your child respect, trustworthiness, the value of an education, responsibility.... It's not the school's responsibility. However, because parents are parenting, schools are doing whatever they can to help families. The buck can't stop there. Our education system would be better off holding parents accountable for their kids and holding themselves accountable for teaching core curriculum. Instead with schools taking on the burden, unruly kids, irresponsible parents...they are depleting education for all. Somehow, feeding, clothing, after school tutoring, baby sitting and snacks just aren't enough.....Now schools have to raise kids too. Until parents understand the situation and take responsibility for the children they brought in to this world, our education system isn't going anywhere soon.

Jeff said...

I don't how many kids you raised, but I raised 4 by myself as a single dad trying to run a business at the same time (their mother was unfit)
I'm happy to say they're all responsible adults now (except one; who's 16. They have all gone through the I'm sick or skipping stage. Please read my "Jeff says" below, which starts with "Are you kidding me ???!!!"; then you'll know what I think of this potential socialist law.

1-11-2011 @ 8:31AM

Roberta said...

Get a clue! Do you even have kids? This bill implies that ALL parents are bad if their kids miss more than 10 days of school! How about when your kid gets sick (Flu, Strep, Impetiego, Cancer, Mono) should we lose our lisence because we kept them home for treatment or because the SCHOOL doesn't want them there to spread germs? You people are really stupid! Take away our ability to care for our kids, then take away our ability to work! Yeah, lets all go on welfare when we lose our jobs! That makes perfect sence!

1-11-2011 @ 9:08AM

Still, one needs to be able to fulfill one's 'responsibilities' without having to be 'superhuman'! Requiring a parent to be able to be in more than one place at one time seems to me more the latter than the former.

1-11-2011 @ 1:02PM

christie9999 said...

Schools ARE and damn well should be held responsible for the discipline of children when in their care! If I make sure my child gets to school, and he/she sneaks out with a friend than the school should be held accountable. Where is the proper discipline on the schools behalf? More and more there isn't any! A kid cuts school and they get suspended...yay....more days off! They do it too many times, they get expelled...yay...no more school EVER! Make them sit in one room all day and write sentences. Make them come to school on Saturday for a Saturday detention. Find something that is effective that actually punishes the child..NOT the parent. A part of life and learning is to take responsibility for your own actions....especially for teenagers. Now, how in the world is blaming mom or dad going to teach a child this? Ridiculous.

1-11-2011 @ 8:01AM

thinkingman said...

What the hell . Its not a driving offens and if you take peoples driving lic, away then people cant go to work,. sometimes kids just dont goo even if you take them and walk them to class. This will not work. As soon asa the same people writing the law lose there lic. the law will change. Every stope voting people like this into office voice you thoughts to themand if they dont listen vote them out of office.

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