Some old sections of state law could be getting a rewrite to remove archaic and sometimes offensive words like idiot and mentally retarded. Boise Democratic Sen. Les Bock introduced a plan Monday afternoon in a Senate committee to get rid of outdated words related mostly to mental disabilities. “Right now we use mentally retarded, we use mentally deficient,” Bock said. Three separate statutes use the word retarded. “There’s also one use of idiot and one use of lunatic. And so, we would amend the Idaho code across the board to change that terminology into terminology that’s really more reflective of current science and current diagnostics.”
Bock said he does not expect any serious opposition to the plan, which he has been working on since the last legislative session. “It’s one of those feel-good bills most people would sign onto.” He’s held meetings with all affected state agencies, and run the idea by the governor’s office. “Everybody participated,” he said. Some may view the changes as bowing to political correctness, but Bock said it is important to clean up the laws on the books. “It sends a good message to people who have disabilities. It sends a good message to people in other states, too, that this is a welcoming state that is respectful of other people.”
This is definitely a step in the right direction.
They might also take a look at the divorce laws where the divorce is granted – Re: 32-801. Insanity a ground for divorce – This law still uses terminology as “regularly confined in an insane asylum.” This law has it’s own special chapter. In other words there is not ‘other’ special chapters where one is allowed a divorce because the spouse suing is tired of dealing with the suffering of one who is plagued by obesity, smoking addiction, diabetes, cancer, emphysema or from any other disease or condition that is “permanent and incurable.” I.C. 32-801 is very archaic and rings of cuckoo bells – needs to be looked at again.
[...] response,” Bock said, but he was contacted by the lawyers with the attorney general after introducing the rewrite of state laws Feb. 8. The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee approved Bock’s plan to amend the legislation to [...]