Posted: 11/1/2004 3:49:39 PM EDT
[#11]
Too damn close for comfort. I can't believe that they didn't make a bigger fuss about Brad Carson using under-age campaign employees, which resulted in the deaths of two children just last July 2004 during this campaign. Two of his employees, Jackalyn Pearson, 16 years old, and Dallas Hunt, 15 years old were killed in a car wreck as a result of Carson Campaign's clear violation of child labor laws. Our Labor Commissioner, Brenda Reneau-Wynn, even levied a fine for violation of labor laws against the Brad Carson campaign and the Carson campaign paid it. I think Carson should have withdrawn from the race when HIS campaign killed two children. Hearings planned in fatal crash MARIE PRICE World Capitol Bureau 08/13/2004 Tulsa World (Final Home Edition), Page A13 of News View in Print (PDF) Format
A 16-year-old girl's work for Democratic campaigns before she died might have violated child-labor laws. OKLAHOMA CITY -- State Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau Wynn has scheduled hearings later this month sparked by the July 8 traffic death of a teenager who was working on political campaigns. One hearing is set for Aug. 27 at the Tulsa office of the state Department of Labor, and the other will occur Aug. 30 at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries in Oklahoma City.
The hearings will be conducted by an administrative law judge.
A key issue to be addressed at the hearings is whether Oklahoma's child-labor law should be as protective as federal law when it comes to teenagers driving as part of their work.
Dallas Michelle Horn was killed and driver JACKALYN PEARSON was seriously injured in the traffic accident, which was investigated by Glenpool police.
The girls, who were 16 at the time of the accident, reportedly were going door to door, canvassing on behalf of Democratic campaigns.
However, Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairman Jay Parmley said the teenagers were independent contractors. (Children cannot enter into ANY type of legally binding contract and neither girls' parents contracted on their behalf - pony)
Federal law sets a minimum age of 17 for on-the-job driving on public roadways.
Reneau Wynn's office said several states, including South Carolina, Massachusetts and California, have enacted similar laws.
"What I would like to do is align state law with federal law," she said.
Oklahoma prohibits children younger than 16 from operating motor vehicles on the job.
Reneau Wynn will use information gathered in the hearings to determine whether Oklahoma's child-labor regulations need to be strengthened.
Reneau Wynn, who is a Republican, has said the probe is not politically motivated.
"I have to do my job, regardless of what's going on in the political arena," she said.
"I think Mr. Parmley is trying to make this political by dragging out the investigation into the political season. It could have been over before the primary even started had everybody been cooperative that should have been."
She described the probe as a routine investigation, adding that the agency will determine when it is concluded.
"There's been no difference handling this investigation than any other routine investigation, except we've never encountered such arrogance and hostility in an obvious effort to frustrate the investigation," she said.
Parmley, however, said Reneau Wynn informed the press of the hearings and other actions in the probe before party officials knew anything about them.
"This is absolutely now politically motivated, I think," he said. "I have never seen her elevate one case to this level."
He said party officials have "answered every question she has asked of us in detail." (yeah, their LAWYERS Frasier, Frasier and Hickman answered all the questions - pony)
Officials have received conflicting sets of questions, he said, and labor employees have shown up seeking information that already has been supplied.
Parmley said Reneau Wynn's "right hand doesn't know what her left hand is doing."
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Marie Price (405) 528-2465 [email protected]
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