Jun 06 2008
South Carolina High Schools Now Required to Have Defibrillators
High schools will be required to have defibrillators under a new law that goes into effect this fall, despite Gov. Sanford’s veto of the proposal. The Senate and House overrode the veto Thursday, hours after Sanford vetoed the bill. Sanford said only about one death a year would be expected to occur in a South Carolina high school.
This is ridiculous. Once again the state legislature is playing the role of over protective nanny and costing taxpayers a nice chunk of change. When was the last time you heard of someone at a high school going into cardiac arrest? As Sanford pointed out, the average is about one death a year across the state.
This waste was sponsored by 11 House Democrats:
- Michael Anthony - Union
- Jimmy Bales - Eastover
- Bill Clyburn - Aiken
- Kenneth Hodges - Green Pond
- Lonnie Hosey - Barnwell
- Leon Howard - Columbia
- Joseph Jefferson - Pineville
- David Mack - North Charleston
- Dennis Moss - Gaffney
- Robert Williams - Darlington
And the Governor’s veto was overridden by your “fiscally responsible, small government” Republican majority.
You can now get an AED (defibrillator), which requires little to no training, for under $1,000. Most districts (and large employers) have already moved in this direction. A Cardinal Gibbons Lacross player was saved this spring because his school has required one since 2001. How much is your child’s life worth?