Butch Otter
Words like “lunatic,” “idiot” and “retarded” that were once common medical terms but are now considered demeaning are no longer part of Idaho code.
Governor Butch Otter signed a bill that gets rid of those words in 73 different Idaho laws, some dating back to 1908.
Otter says words that criticize people with disabilities are as hurtful as racial slurs.
The law replaces phrases like “mentally retarded” with “intellectually disabled.”
Disability rights advocates in Idaho say changing the way the government addresses people with disabilities sends the message that the language is inappropriate, especially to young people who use the word “retarded” as slang to insult others.
Several other states, including Washington and Oregon, have enacted similar laws.
Meanwhile, the Governor has also signed a measure that makes it easier for grandparents to take legal custody of a child whose parents are out of the picture.
Otter says the new law will keep families together and help Idaho’s children.
The law gives grandparents more rights in custody battles. Grandparents who want legal control that allows them to sign off on a child’s medical and school forms now must prove in court they’ve taken care of the child for more than a year.
Previously, the grandparent had to prove the child’s parent was unfit to monitor the child.
Advocates say that process exacerbated tensions between grandparents and parents, some of whom can’t raise their children because they have drug problems or are in prison. (AP)
