The safe haven nightmare is over in Nebraska.

Earlier this year, the state was the last in the country to adopt a safe haven law, but Nebraska went much too far, allowing children as old as 19 to be dropped off at police stations and hospitals. As expected, the law had horrendous circumstances that I’ve blogged about and discussed on WISN.

The law has now been changed to apply to children up to 30 days of age. That’s a major improvement. A better law would have been one structured like the one in Wisconsin and many other states where the deadline is 72 hours.

Here are links to other stories with many more details about the Nebraska issue.

Nebraska lawmakers are going into special session to undo their damage.

Finally, Nebraska lawmakers have come to their senses, agreeing to undo the chaos they created when they adopted a safe-haven law that extended to offspring as old as 19.

The law will be re-written to apply only to infants up to 3 days old making it similar to Wisconsin’s safe-haven statute.

Ever notice how prison inmates, especially those scumbags on death row, once confronting execution, suddenly whine and moan and scream and beg for leniency? That would be a cry for mercy they never gave their innocent victims.

These cold-blooded killers aren’t so tough behind bars, clamoring for legal help when forced to eat Nutraloaf.

Eventually, they will eat, and eat, and eat, thanks to you and me, the taxpayers who keep the worst of the worst sheltered and alive, in many case for decades.

One death row inmate gained weight in prison, and then tried to use his obesity to spare his life. Richard Cooey argued he was too fat to be executed, that something could go wrong during the lethal injection.

“You can’t kill me. Look at me. I’m too fat.” 

And why not? All you need to do is get your case heard by some bonehead judge, and for the next who knows how many years, you’re stuffing your face again, courtesy of Uncle Sam as you plot your next bunch of appeals.

No such luck for Cooey. A judge didn’t fall for his nonsense. Prison officials had no trouble finding veins through all his blubber. Imagine that. Cooey was executed today.

Cooey expressed no remorse for his crimes in his last words.

"For what? You (expletive) haven't paid any attention to anything I've said in the last 22 1/2 years, why would anyone pay any attention to anything I've had to say now.”

Richard Cooey will never be forced to eat Nutraloaf ever again. Now that’s justice.

Had it up to here with your kids?

If you live in Nebraska, you just throw them in the car, drive them to the nearest hospital or police station, and dump them off. End of problem. End of parental responsibility.

What’s that you say? Your kid is 19?

No problem. Nebraska’s new Safe Haven Law lets you get rid of (sorry to be so blunt but that’s what it is) any and all your kids, even teens up to age 19.

Yes, it’s silly. Yes, it’s stupid. Yes, lawmakers in Nebraska who approved this nonsense are fools. And yes, Cornhuskers are taking advantage of this, how shall I put it, opportunity.

My sharp wife, Jennifer posed an intriguing question not too long ago. What if you’re from another state? Can you dump and go?

The law and its legal protections apply only to Nebraska residents but Jennifer’s point is well taken. In today’s society, would that minor detail stop anyone?

The answer, of course, is no.

Nebraska became the 50^th state this past July to enact a Safe Haven law. But it went far beyond what any other state had approved.

Back then, I blogged about the ridiculous law and also talked about it on WISN, predicting the measure would lead to irresponsible parents dumping their children.

It’s happening. Last week, nine children aged 1 to 17 were left at a hospital by their father.  At least four children between the ages of 11 and 15 have been abandoned by parents since the law took effect. I updated the story on my guest appearance on WISN on Monday and today, USA TODAY does an examination.

State officials look at laws in other states as models for their own proposed bills. The idea is to learn from other states and craft legislation that’s an improvement. Nebraska took a common sense law and turned it into a nightmare. Lawmakers in the Cornhusker State need to fix this ASAP in their next legislative session.

The Beloit School Board investigates and finds Superintendent Lowell Holtz violated two district policies by allowing a crew to work inside a high school on a pro-Obama video last March.

It’s blatant politicking in a public school funded by the taxpayers. And yes, it would be wrong if the video was about McCain but let’s be real.  That would never happen. Public school officials aren’t stumping for the GOP.  Schools are to educate, not to lobby for votes.

Here’s the story I talked about today on WISN.

This afternoon while filling in for Mark Belling on WISN, my special guest was Dinesh D'Souza. Here is his column we talked about.

D'Souza wrote this in another column:

"I invite people to send me small contributions--$5, $10, $25, whatever you can spare. Send them to P.O. Box 3384, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067. Make your checks to "George Obama." I will then contact the Obama campaign and offer them the money on the condition that they forward it to George Obama in Kenya. The advantage of this approach is that not only does George Obama benefit from our generosity, but also Barack Obama can use the opportunity to improve his relationship with his half-brother. Let's foster Obama family values, and give a break to a guy who really needs it."

More from The Telegraph...

The fact that people disagree with me is not breaking news. I take strong stands and always try to back them up with rational thought and facts.

What I have no patience for is being misquoted. I get misinterpreted frequently, and that’s bad enough. But there is no excuse for being misquoted.

I’ve been doing radio and TV in this market for over 30 years. I’m not alone in being victimized by being misquoted. It happens often. When I worked at WTMJ, I can’t begin to tell you how many telephone calls I received from listeners who swore that I or another newsperson said or reported something when we never did.

On Friday while filling in for Mark Belling on Newstalk 1130 WISN, I opened with what I consider an extraordinary topic that to my knowledge has never been addressed on local talk radio: rape/incest victims and why they make the, as I said numerous times on the program, incredible, inspirational decision to go through with their pregnancies.

My entire focus was to present the issue from the perspective of the assault victims and explain why they refuse to abort. My phone lines were flooded, and everyone who called in got on the air. I didn’t hang up on anyone. I did get agitated with some pro-lifers who misunderstood my position. Apparently, I was too honest in saying that I do have the utmost respect and admiration for the women who keep their babies, but I could understand the decision of those who choose to abort and would not criticize them for it. Never did I say the abortion was the right choice. Some pro-lifers wanted to turn this very specific discussion into a general debate on abortion whereas I wanted to keep the focus narrow.

A respected friend, fellow conservative blogger Dad29 wrote a follow up blog after my show. He makes two brief references to yours truly:


“(It can also be inferred that Kevin Fischer has a distaste for Pro-Life Wisconsin types; on yesterday's show he referred to people who objected to abortion-for-rape-and-incest-victims as "zealots," a term which has ALWAYS been a slur.)”


And later in his blog:


“And if being pro-life means that Kevin calls me a "zealot", so be it.”


There’s a major problem here. I never said the word, “zealot.” Not once. I did express great respect for the pro-life movement, so why would I use that term?

I listened to the podcast and there’s nothing wrong with my hearing. Never is the word, “zealot” that so angered Dad29 mentioned. I confirmed with WISN that my entire show was put up on the WISN website in a podcast for listeners to hear again and this entire segment was posted without edits. Dad29 swears I said the word, but as far as I’m concerned, he can stand on the highest mountain top and scream that to his heart’s content. The tapes don’t lie.

Dad29 says I have distaste for pro-life types. That is a blatantly false statement. He knows me personally and reads my blog. Anyone who thinks I’m not pro-life hasn’t been paying attention and has rocks in their head. Maybe Dad29 would like to talk to the people who run Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Right To Life and get their opinion of me.

Dad29’s blog is not only false and misleading, it besmirches my reputation. It also attacks part of my livelihood, albeit part-time, that of being a radio talk show host, and I take that very seriously.

I expect this kind of garbage, and that’s exactly what it is, garbage, from the hateful left, but not from a friend. That’s why this makes me angry and very disappointed and I felt required a response. 

Here are more details on this issue.

Wisconsin has a Safe Haven Law designed to prevent the abandonment of infants.

From a column written by state Senator Sheila Harsdorf:

“On April 3, 2001, Wisconsin became one of 14 states to adopt a safe haven law.  Under the legislation signed by Governor Scott McCallum, newborn children believed to be under the age of 72 hours may be surrendered into the custody of a law enforcement officer, emergency medical technician (EMT), or hospital staff member.  If a parent is unable to travel to such a location, the parent may utilize the “911” emergency telephone number wherein a law enforcement officer or EMT would be dispatched to take the surrendered child into custody.  The parent who surrenders the child is given complete anonymity and confidentiality, provided that the child is unharmed in any way.  The newborn is then placed for adoption.

According to a study by the National Institute of Health and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, between 1983 and 1991, approximately 1350 infants were killed before reaching 4 months of age.  140 Infants were killed in their first day of life, with 130 of those not being born in hospitals.”

The Safe Haven Law is no longer unique. All 50 states have one, with Nebraska becoming the 50^th state to put one on the books last month. However, Nebraska’s law is far different from the other 49. I talked about it on WISN Friday.

Read how Nebraska’s Safe Haven Law goes much too far.

That's the absurd asssessment of Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn.

Ok, Phelps isn't brash, bold, cocky, and doesn't change the color of his hair as oftenas Dennis Rodman. To that I say, so what!

Here is Zorn's column I read on the air Friday on WISN that drew a ton of reaction.

He lied repeatedly as he ran for President about sleeping with a woman he met in a bar while his unsuspecting wife was back home battling cancer.

He says he didn't love the woman he had an affair with.

His wife?

Oh, her cancer was in remission at the time.

His mistress' baby?

Oh, it's not his, but he hasn't had a paternity test.

John Edwards.

Warm.

Compassionate.

Liar.

Cheat.

Pervert.

Liberal.

I belong to opentable.com. Sign up for free, make restaurant reservations online, and get points for each visit, good towards restaurant gift certificates.

Now there’s a new online service available for New York and Chicago restaurants where you can buy and even sell reservations to high end restaurants that are next to impossible to get into.

It’s a trend that could grow in popularity. Yes, people are willing to pay $10-$50 just to get inside the restaurant door.

Here’s the story I discussed on WISN today.

• Wisconsin would adopt emission standards for passenger vehicles currently in place in California.
• Wisconsin would adopt voluntary and mandatory emission reduction measures to reduce emissions from off-road sources related to construction, agricultural, lawn/garden care, recreational and industrial/commercial sectors.
• Truck idling would be limited at depots, over night rest areas and other long-term parking circumstances to a maximum five minutes.
• The state would set aside funding to regulate the reduction of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by individuals.
• The existing 65 mph highway speed limit would be strictly enforced and a study would be conducted of potential future speed limit reductions.
• Legislation would develop a low carbon fuel standard for fuel providers. The Task Force says, “Providers could meet the standard by blending ethanol (corn/cellulosic) with gasoline, blending biodiesel with diesel,” in other words, an ethanol mandate.
• The Task Force believes emissions would be reduced by the creation of three programs for public and private transit alternatives: Intercity Rail, Transit Trust Fund and a Regional Transit Authority.
• Rental properties would be required to install energy efficient lighting.

So, let's add it all up.

Policies endorsed by the Task Force would regulate your car, lawnmower, boat, tractor, and 4-wheeler, dictate how many miles you can drive, lower speed limits, encourage you to walk, regulate the trucking industry, and impose an ethanol mandate. Making matters worse, and fueling my skepticism is the fact the report fails to specify the cost of these initiatives to Wisconsin residents and their effect on our fragile state economy that grew by a paltry one percent last year. If Wisconsin were to implement the Task Force recommendations, it is a safe bet heating bills, electric bills and gas prices would all increase and our economy would continue to suffer.

The most efficient method to reduce emissions would be to increase our use of nuclear energy. However, after 16 months of study, the Task Force fails to recommend the construction of a new nuclear power plant or expanding a plant in operation.

If Governor Doyle intends to push these far-reaching ideas in the Legislature, Wisconsin residents need to be aware that the recommendations are highly intrusive, expensive, and would do little to provide any benefit to the earth’s climate.

Last Monday night, when the Milwaukee Brewers opened a 4-game series against the Cardinals in St. Louis, Busch Stadium offered what could be a baseball promotion first……designating an entire section a peanut-free zone. Only fans with peanut allergies and their families were allowed in Section 328 in the outfiled down the first base line, just behind the foul pole.

Peanut-free zones at the ballpark was a topic on my program Friday as I filled in for Mark Belling on Newstalk 1130 WISN. Comments ran the gamut.

Some viewed the promotion as a wonderful, thoughtful idea. Others wondered where you draw the line on special accommodations for fans.

Several callers made the valid argument that parents are taking a serious risk bringing their peanut allergy suffering kids to the stadium because in order to get to their seats, they have to pass many areas where peanuts are still being sold, consumed, and dropped on the ground.

Here are more details.from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Just ask Anne Hartridge and Matt George of Sacramento, California.

They are environmentalists to the nth degree. In the past, I’ve called their kind hyper-enviro’s. Believe it or not, I feel very sorry for them. Yes, you read that right.

As you know, the western part of the country is experiencing just the opposite of what we’ve had in the Midwest. Dry conditions led California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a statewide drought.

Hartridge and George, who just about rub sticks to start a fire to cook their meals, made the decision to be civic-minded and adhere to the Governor’s call. They stopped watering their lawn and let it die.

That’s when trouble erupted.

What do you think happened next?

If you thought that someone from the local government noticed and intervened…..

You would be ………………….

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WRONG!

No, something occurred before that.

Think suburbs.

Think busybody neighbors with nothing better to do.

Think elitist snob neighbors without a life.

Think neighbors who need a sense of humor transplant.

Now you got it!


SOME NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED!

And then the city of Sacramento pencil-pushing, rules are rules, let’s not use common sense geeky bureaucrats stepped in.

I guess none of them have ever met Arnold, the state’s #1 official I might add, in a dark alley, but they threatened the couple with a $746 fine if they didn’t take proper measures to restore their landscaping.

The couple asked, what can/should we do?

Being a government employee who hates big government, I love this. The response the couple got was they’d get their answer………………………………….in an e-mail.

Guess what?

The e-mail never came.

Nor did responses from their city council representative.

Some yahoo in the city of Sacramento bureaucracy actually admitted not communicating with other agencies to resolve this matter. You see, that would be extra work, plus a deviation from the constituent response playbook.

Seems to me Arnold needs to head to City Hall and kick some butt.

I talked about this on WISN this past week…….here’s yet another perfect example of why people hate government.