‘Ed Thomas bill’ a worthy step

A reasonable compromise has been struck in the “Ed Thomas bill,” and we urge the Iowa Legislature to move it quickly to Gov. Chet Culver's desk.

With Jan Thomas, widow of the beloved Aplington-Parkersburg football coach and community leader, in attendance, the House Judiciary Committee last Thursday unanimously approved sending the bill to the full House for debate. The governor already has indicated he supports the legislation.

The bill attempts to close what many see as a flaw in state law. It would require hospitals to notify police before releasing a mental patient who faces criminal charges.

Mark Becker, convicted last week of first-degree murder in the Thomas case, had been released from a hospital psychiatric commitment shortly before he drove to Parkersburg and shot Thomas last June. The Thomas family has said that if law enforcement had known when Becker would be released, the coach's life would have been saved.

We'll never know that for sure. But the proposed legislation would at least be a worthy step toward preventing other such incidents.

Some hospitals have voiced concerns about federal privacy laws and the increased responsibility they could face if the bill becomes law.

However, the Iowa Attorney General and the state Department of Public Safety say federal law allows hospitals to notify police of a patient's identity and location in order to protect the public.

Under the proposed legislation, police would fill out a standard written request to the hospital. In turn, a hospital would face a fine if it didn't report a discharge after such a request.

While many in law enforcement say they already have a procedure in place with hospitals, they often differ with each agency and standardizing the process would help. And last week, the Iowa Hospital Association said the amended bill's requirements should be workable.

Too often, it takes tragedy to spur needed changes or improvements in official procedures or practices. While nothing can fill the void created by the loss of Coach Thomas, this legislation would be a reasonable way to help prevent other such tragedies.

Aaron Thomas, one of Ed's sons, spoke to the House committee on behalf of his family earlier last week. “We ask that you do what is right and allow a simple solution to this simple problem,” he said.

While few pieces of legislation are as simple as we'd all like, we agree with Aaron. This bill represents a sensible way to not only honor the memory of Ed Thomas but also improve public safety for Iowans.