FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
February 23, 2004

Candidate Greer Tan Swiston pushes for passage of 'Baby Safe Haven' bill, while Rep. Kay Khan stonewalls in State House

Greer Tan Swiston, candidate for 11th Middlesex State Representative seat, has fully endorsed the immediate passage of Massachusetts House Bill 4325: the Safe Placement of Newborns and Infants bill, also known as the Baby Safe Haven bill.

The proposed bill would allow mothers the option of leaving their unwanted, younger than seven-day-old, babies at a secure, safe place, such as a police or fire station. The Safe Haven for Newborns law has been passed and enacted in 45 states, and is currently covering 97% of the US population. The first Governor to sign a Safe Haven for Newborns law into effect was George W. Bush in June of 1999, then Governor of Texas. The most recent Governor to enact a Safe Haven for Newborns law was Craig Benson in New Hampshire on May 6, 2003.

In almost five years of the Safe Haven for Newborns law, over 200 newborns, who might have otherwise died, have been given safely to hospitals, police, and fire stations across the country. The law does save states costly trials and incarnations, but more importantly, it saves lives.

However, while Swiston supports this bill, the current Representative, Kay Khan, resists it. Khan points to a potential loss of medical records and familial histories as justification for her position.. However, these issues are unrelated. Adoption History laws and Safe Haven laws can go and have gone hand in hand.

Newton is not free from children being ruthlessly abandoned. Thinking otherwise would be naïve. It is our responsibility as citizens to protect those children by passing the Safe Havens for Newborns law.

Some background on Greer Tan Swiston

Ms. Swiston and her family have been residents of Newton for over 13 years. A graduate of MIT, the daughter of immigrants and a successful professional, Ms. Swiston has decided to step into public service as a means of giving back to the community and giving back to Newton. For more information on Greer Tan Swiston and her campaign for State Rep in 2004, please see her website at www.vote4greer.org