Gingery’s Bills Seek Clarifications
Teton County’s State Representative Keith Gingery will be introducing two bills dealing with domestic violence during the upcoming legislative session. One of those bills, he says toughens the penalty for those who fail to report child abuse. Gingery says while it has been a requirement under Wyoming law to report child abuse, but there was never a penalty if the abuse is not reported. He says his bill would call for misdemeanor penalties for those who fail to report child abuse. Gingery says the other bill deals with a more specific definition of aggravated assault and battery. He explains the difference between aggravated assault and simple assault is more than simply higher penalties. He says his bill would clarify that the attack resulted in a loss of consciousness, a concussion, a bone fracture, an injury that resulted in extensive suturing would indicate the assault was aggravated as well as an attack that causes permanent disfigurement or permanent impairment which the law currently specifies. Gingery says the bill also would require health care workers and emergency medical personnel to report any injury that appears to have been a result of abusive conduct to report it to law enforcement. Gingery explains that such cases need to be investigated while the evidence is still fresh so that they can be effectively prosecuted. The so-called “long session” of the legislature begins January 8th, and even though it is not a biennial budget session, budget concerns are expected to occupy a fair amount of the lawmakers’ time this year in addition to proposed statutes brought before them.
