• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Legislature / Bill would criminalize intoxicated co-sleeping deaths

Bill would criminalize intoxicated co-sleeping deaths

September 27, 2013 By Bob Hague

A state lawmaker wants to criminalize intoxicated co-sleeping deaths, and provide education to help prevent them from occurring. It can happen when a parent gets drunk or high and then gets in bed with an infant.

“It came to light for me, unfortunately, with a case in Kenosha County, where a father had fallen asleep with a child on his chest. He had been drinking that evening, rolled over and woke up about two hours later and the baby had died,” said Representative Samantha Kerkman (R-Powers Lake).

Kerkman’s bill would make it a felony to harm or kill an infant by co-sleeping while intoxicated, using the same .08 standard of intoxication contained in the state’s drunken driving statutes. “Parents have a choice,” Kerkman said. “If you decide to go out and drink . . . don’t get into bed with your child.”

The bill also has an education component, requiring new parents and high school students to receive safe-sleep training, and Kerkman said if the criminal penalties never have to be applied, she’d “be very happy.” But she noted there have been ten co-sleeping deaths in the state this year.

 

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Legislature, News





compeer financial celebrates beef month

Featured Stories

Wisconsin DNR warns of elevated fire danger this week

Baldwin announces U.S. Senate reelection bid

‘Tragic, terrible’ – Sheriff on Barron County police officers deaths

Two police officers killed in Barron County shootout

UW System Regents approve tuition increase

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Evers’ AmFam funding plan ‘a nonstarter’ with Assembly Republicans

New pitch clock could speed up MLB games this season, says UW expert

Giannis breaks franchise scoring record, Bucks beat Nets in OT

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

Badgers to face Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC