Legislation over on the Texas-side

One of the major news stories down here this month is the December 3 beathing death of a teenager adopted from state custody in Cass County, Texas (30 miles south of Texarkana). The adoptive mother is accused of confining the adopted child to his room the day after Thanksgiving because he allegedly made her "lust." The teen was bound with large zip ties, deprived of food and bathroom privileges and beaten with a variety of household objects before he died, according to an affidavit.

This has prompted Texas state Rep. Stephen Frost (D-Atlanta) -- my colleague across State Line Avenue -- to draft a bill that will make psychological screenings mandatory for those who want to adopt children from foster care. Here's more from the Texarkana Gazette.