Law Professor Convicted

Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law professor Jane Dolkart has been sentenced to 5 years probation and 2 years of community service on an agravated assault charge after a hit-and-run incident involving a bicyclist last year. This is a repeat offense for Prof. Dolkart, having struck two 2L pedestrians near campus a couple years ago.

For news, click here: TXCN, Texas Cable News
For blogger commentary, click here: University Diaries

P.S. If you are not from Dallas, you should know that in addition to a rather large donation to the SMU law school, the Dedman family has funded many other public insitutions, one of which is the "somebody-was-thinking-when-they-named-it" RHD Memorial Hospital.

Midwifery Legislative Update - Texas

House Bill 1535 was signed by the governor of Texas on June 18, 2005 and will go into effect on Sept 1, 2005. The major features of the bill include a title change, changing "Documented" to "Licensed"; and changing the makeup of the Midwifery Board to include a majority representation from licensed midwives (5 midwives, 2 public members, 2 physicians).

Childhood Vaccines

The HealthLawProfBlog has an article titled Childhood Vaccines. Haven't had time to read the original articles yet, but looks good.

07/01/05 Edited to add this link to the Kennedy article.

Travel Notes

My poor, neglected Mommy Blawg. By way of an excuse, I only get an hour of computer time a day.

I'm here at the Monticello, Iowa Public Library which I have blogged about here and here. My dear, sweet husband drove the 15 hours from Texas to Iowa last weekend so that I could escape the Dallas heat and have some help with the kids. I'm still fighting the so-called morning sickness, but at least I'm not quite so depressed while doing it. Out back of my in-laws house there is a field planted, in alternate years, with corn or soy beans (Round-up Ready, as I've been told). This year it's soy. There used to be a picturesque barn and silo on the hill, but it started to fall down and was bulldozed a couple years ago. Still a nice view. Today is the first day since we arrived that the temperature has been over 80 degrees. Nice.

Breastfeeding Legislative Update - Ohio

Ohio's governor has signed into law legislation that makes that state the the 35th state to allow women to breast-feed in public. The law creates a specific right to "nurse anywhere a woman is allowed to enter."

Thursday Library Trips

I've decided to postpone the weekly Library Trip blog post. It's becoming too much to keep up with for the time being. My boys are doing the library's Summer Reading Club, so perhaps I will post their summer reading lists next month.

The Baby Blawg

The Mommy Blawger is pleased to announce the arrival of... The Baby Blawg!

Yes, our little family is growing. The Baby Blawg will serve several purposes. First, it will be my online pregnancy journal, to keep friends and family (and, I'm sure, a few well-wishing strangers) up to date on the goings-on in the Mommy Blawger's uterus. Along the way, I will link to whatever helpful pregnancy and childbirth-related websites and resources I find (I happen to be a person who does a lot of research), and baby-related news items.

Despite it's name (blawg=legal blog), there will be little to no legal content on the Baby Blawg. Most of the baby-related content heretofore posted on The Mommy Blawg will be moved over to The Baby Blawg, unless it is specifically legal, political, or policy-related, and then I may mirror posts or cross-link. Bear with me; I've never had two blogs before (or three kids, for that matter).

What else? ... I plan to blog during labor (the early part, at least), and the birth announcement will go up here right away, probably after we call the grandparents but before we call the aunts and uncles (sorry). And I'll try to avoid graphic descriptions of pregnancy symptoms or bodily functions, at least until labor begins, when it may become necessary to mention my cervix.

Please join me!

Midwife in court to regain license

Vermont midwife Roberta Devers-Scott is appealing an administrative decision revoking her license.