[Njagdu] Wag the Dog' issue in N.J. service-animal bill | Editorial

[Ginger Kutsch]

Wag the Dog' issue in N.J. service-animal bill | Editorial

Posted on June 25, 2017 at 7:42 AM 

By South Jersey Times Editorial Board 

 

There's a "wag the dog" component in a bill that awaits Gov. Chris
Christie's signature after passing the state Senate. The legislation has to
do with -- dogs. More specifically, it involves service animals.

 

In political circles, "wag the dog," means to create a distraction to take
citizen and media attention away from a scandal that reflects poorly on an
officeholder. Soon after release of Barry Levinson's 1997 movie of the same
name that popularized the idiom, President Bill Clinton decided to fire
missiles at al-Qaida targets in Afghanistan and the Sudan -- at the same
time as Monica Lewinsky was testifying before a grand jury. Many observers
called it a prime, real-life example of "wag the dog."

 

For a more recent example, look at how and when President Donald Trump
issues his most controversial stop-the-presses "tweets."

 

What does this have to do with New Jersey legislation to protect the rights
of people with service animals? Just this: There has been to much focus on
the punitive aspects of the bill, as in fines, when the more important part
addresses a need for less ignorance about laws and policies governing these
animals.

 

"Charlie's Law," as it has been dubbed, emerged after Cherry Hill High
School East prevented 16-year-old Ben Shore, who is on the autism spectrum,
from bringing his goldendoodle Charlie with him to class. In a little bit of
Statehouse theater, Assembly co-sponsor Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) allowed
Charlie to press the "yes" button when the legislation unanimously passed
the Assembly in January. 

 

This past Monday's 38-0 approval in the Senate, which sends "Charlie's Law"
to the governor, is a credit to Shore, his persistence, and his willingness
to know  his rights under state and federal law. That's a lot more than
Cherry Hill school district officials knew when they enacted a boneheaded
policy that clearly conflicts with the federal Americans with Disabilities
Act.

 

The local policy, since reversed, denied Charlie admittance because the dog
was not provided by a recognized agency, and was trained at home to respond
to Shore's panic attacks. Such discrimination against "home-schooled"
service animals is strictly illegal under the ADA. 

 

The bill allows someone like Shore to call police when gatekeepers of public
accommodations let Ben come in, but insist that Charlie stays out. Police
can issue summonses with fines starting at $250 for the first infraction,
$500 for the second, and $1,000 for each subsequent violation. The money is
supposed to go toward educational programs about the rights of people with
service animals. 

 

By all means, Gov. Chris Christie should sign the bill. It would be a
genuine feel-good moment if Shore and Charlie were with him at a public
ceremony. But, as we noted this winter, police have higher-priority things
to do than intervene in disputes over whether or not a dog can be admitted
to a restaurant. We don't expect these fines to add up to much, but the need
for greater awareness is critical. What kind of compliance program can the
state Attorney General's Office establish on fine revenue that may be
assessed only a few times each year? An ineffective one.

 

So, back to "wag the dog." Fines make good headlines, but lawmakers and the
administration should commit to funding sufficiently an effort such that
every government building security guard, every ticket-taker at a theater,
and every bluenose who sniffs "No dogs allowed!" will know better.

 

Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at
sjletters at njadvancemedia.com

Source:

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/wag_the_dog_issue_in_nj_service-
animal_bill_editor.html

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