Washington Representative Champions Family Care

When Representative Mary Lou Dickerson of Washington (Flemming `98) introduces a bill, she is charting a course to improve the lives of families and children.

A Democrat, Dickerson is in her third term in a state with the highest number of women legislators in the nation. A former social worker and long-time child advocate, she believes the legislature is the best place for her to make systematic change to improve the lives of children and families.

Two of Dickerson’s 11 bills for the 1999 session, HB 1519 and HB 2074, would expand family leave, giving working parents more time to spend with their children and elderly parents and deal with family crises.

HB 1519 would entitle an employee to 10 days of leave to participate in their children’s education; resolve a time-sensitive personal issue,
such as a sudden lack of child care; or obtain services related to domestic violence.

HB 2074 establishes that leave to care for a newborn child is not leaving work voluntarily without good cause.

"I’m not going to give up on family leave until it passes," says Dickerson.

Dickerson’s focus on families and children led her to introduce HB 1315, which also would launch a public awareness campaign to inform parents that their children have easy access to ultra-violent video games. Although video games are rated like movies, the ratings aren’t enforced. "Parents need to know that it’s easy for eight-year-olds to get a video game rated for 17-year-olds and above," says Dickerson.

Dickerson’s bill is still in committee, but people are now talking about a voluntary campaign to enforce the ratings for video games.

"We are getting cooperation of the Washington Software Alliance and the Washington Retail Association," says Dickerson.

Her family leave bills and ongoing concentration on children and families is a natural fit with the policy focus of CPA’s Policy Leaders Forum in the Western states. Dickerson will co-host CPA’s Family, Work and Community issue forum June 11-13, 1999 in Seattle (see ad on page 3).