SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: I will stand up for short kids facing ridiculous booster seat law

Jan 2, 2020, 2:49 PM

booster seat, car seat...

(Photo by Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)

(Photo by Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)

A bunch of new state laws went into effect for 2020, and once again, Washington is the laughing stock of the country. There is one law in particular that I take very personally.

Children up to the age of 13, if they are 4-foot-9 or shorter, now have to ride in a booster seat. Can you imagine dropping your kids off at middle school as they unstrap themselves from their booster seat? It’s insanity.

If you go to a middle school, you’ll see there are a lot of kids who have not hit a growth spurt yet. Now they have to sit in a booster seat like a little kid?

When I was about 5, we took a road trip to North Dakota. My mom had this big, ridiculous Oldsmobile 98, and I would run around the backseat floor while she was driving. My brother did not believe the car could go 120 miles per hour, so my mom proved it to him — all while I was standing up in the back. I survived.

David Boze: The good, the bad, and the ridiculous new laws here in WA

This law also states that all kids under 13 — even those who are tall enough to be free of the booster seat requirement — have to sit in the backseat of the car. I cannot tell you how many lovely conversations I had with my daughters at that age as I was driving them around. Now the government is going to take that bonding time away from parents?

And then what about the parents who went through all the expense of having babies and finally got rid of stuff like booster seats as their kids aged out of them — is the state telling them that now they have to go out and spend money on a new one for their short 12-year-old?

Finally, in a state that talks all the time about not discriminating and being inclusive — what about the short kids? Who is protecting the short kids? I know the kids are still out of school for Christmas break and might be reading or listening to this, so if you are a short kid, know that this is the radio show for you. I promise that I, Dori Monson, will be the only person in the media to stand up for you.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from 12-3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Texans cheer as a crowd gathers at the Texas State Capitol in Austin to celebrate the results of th...

Associated Press

Democrats won back support from five key groups that shifted toward Trump in 2024: The AP Voter Poll

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic candidates made up significant ground among key demographic groups in the 2026 midterms, according to The AP Voter Poll, reversing many of the gains President Donald Trump made with the traditional Democratic coalition in the 2024 presidential election. The AP Voter Poll, a sweeping survey of more than 100,000 voters in […]

5 minutes ago

A voter casts their ballot at Seattle City Hall. (Photo: Steph Chambers, Getty Images)...

Charlie Harger

Harger: Voters fired Republicans in D.C. and doubled down on Democrats in Olympia

Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate. As of Wednesday, they’d won 228 House seats and led in 34 more. They’d won at least 54 Senate seats.

12 minutes ago

The sun rises behind the U.S. Capitol, as seen reflected in the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool, on El...

Associated Press

Democrats usher in a new era with their resounding sweep of the House and the Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are riding their sweep of Congress into a new era, eager to meet voter demands for change with plans to tackle high costs of living and confront President Donald Trump’s final years in the White House. In a nationwide romp, Democrats ousted Republicans from coast to coast, with many surprising places […]

36 minutes ago

spain wa train crash...

KIRO 7 News Staff

College students from Washington severely injured in Spain train collision

Two college students from Washington state attending California Polytechnic State University were severely injured in a high-speed train crash in Spain.

55 minutes ago

Democratic House candidate Bobby Pulido arrives at a polling location at the University of Texas Ri...

Associated Press

Trump-backed Republican redistricting sought a midterm edge. It didn’t work

WASHINGTON (AP) — At the urging of President Donald Trump, Republicans in eight states redrew the boundaries of dozens of congressional districts over the past year while angling for an edge that could help them hold onto a slim House majority in a tough midterm election. Ultimately, it didn’t work. Republicans lost most of the […]

1 hour ago

seattle revel restaurant close...

Regan Gallo-Fenz

Last call for Revel: Seattle diners have until Dec. 20 before doors close

Fans of Fremont's Revel restaurant have until Dec. 20 to dine one last time. The Korean-inspired restaurant has been serving Seattle customers for 16 years.

2 hours ago

Dori: I will stand up for short kids facing ridiculous booster seat law