Senate leaves out key provision for widows of fallen officers
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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A decision by the state Senate delivered a stunning blow to widows of fallen police officers.
The Senate left out a key provision in the survivor benefits bill that would have allowed widows of police officers to remarry without losing their benefits.
Renee Maher, who lost her police officer husband, is one of many widows who have been reaching out to state lawmakers in hopes changing this law.
"The reality is these women are given a life sentence on the day that they get the knock on the door when their husbands are killed," said Maher.
Under the current law, widows who remarry have to face financial uncertainty. As a result, many of them say they don't let romances bloom.
"It's ended, because I don't have that choice to make it go one further," said police widow Jolin Lowry. "Because I'm not going to sacrifice my daughter's and my well-being to make a hardship for us, because I choose to get remarried. I will stay alone."
And that financial certainty is something police officers want to be certain their families will always have.
"I want my children to have a father figure if I die. I want them to be able to wake up and say, 'Daddy,'" said Lakewood Police Officer Skeeter Manos.
But the state Senate Ways and Means Committee took out the portion of the survivors benefits bill that allows police widows to remarry without losing those benefits. And the full Senate approved the amended version of the bill Monday morning.
"I would hope that when it comes to love and marriage people don't look at it as, 'Is this the financially the right thing to do or not to do?' I would hope that marriage is about love other than money," said Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina.
Tom said lawmakers feared other widows would want the same treatment.
Gov. Chris Gregoire said she's upset by the Senate's move.
"I don't understand why they did this," she said.
It is now up to the state House to either agree with the Senate or stand firm for the widows.
"We've got a couple of weeks left in session, and it's not uncommon for bills to go back and forth between the house and the senate until we settle on what's going to be the final version. So the game is not over yet," said Rep. Christopher Hurst, D-Enumclaw.
For more information:
EHB 2519
The Senate left out a key provision in the survivor benefits bill that would have allowed widows of police officers to remarry without losing their benefits.
Renee Maher, who lost her police officer husband, is one of many widows who have been reaching out to state lawmakers in hopes changing this law.
"The reality is these women are given a life sentence on the day that they get the knock on the door when their husbands are killed," said Maher.
Under the current law, widows who remarry have to face financial uncertainty. As a result, many of them say they don't let romances bloom.
"It's ended, because I don't have that choice to make it go one further," said police widow Jolin Lowry. "Because I'm not going to sacrifice my daughter's and my well-being to make a hardship for us, because I choose to get remarried. I will stay alone."
And that financial certainty is something police officers want to be certain their families will always have.
"I want my children to have a father figure if I die. I want them to be able to wake up and say, 'Daddy,'" said Lakewood Police Officer Skeeter Manos.
But the state Senate Ways and Means Committee took out the portion of the survivors benefits bill that allows police widows to remarry without losing those benefits. And the full Senate approved the amended version of the bill Monday morning.
"I would hope that when it comes to love and marriage people don't look at it as, 'Is this the financially the right thing to do or not to do?' I would hope that marriage is about love other than money," said Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina.
Tom said lawmakers feared other widows would want the same treatment.
Gov. Chris Gregoire said she's upset by the Senate's move.
"I don't understand why they did this," she said.
It is now up to the state House to either agree with the Senate or stand firm for the widows.
"We've got a couple of weeks left in session, and it's not uncommon for bills to go back and forth between the house and the senate until we settle on what's going to be the final version. So the game is not over yet," said Rep. Christopher Hurst, D-Enumclaw.
For more information:
EHB 2519
