A victory for the victims

Gov. Jim Doyle used his veto Friday to give lead paint poisoning victims the chance to go to court for damages from lead paint manufacturers.

That sounds like a no-brainer, but the usual suspects -- Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, and of course lead paint manufacturers -- were unhappy.

The Journal Sentinel reports:

“I cannot sign a law that closes the doors of justice to children who have been poisoned,” Doyle said.

“Here in Wisconsin the problem of lead paint poisoning is substantial and it is ongoing,” the governor told a crowd of 80 people at the 16th Street Community Health Center. “Every day lead continues to seep from paint on windowsills of this city’s oldest homes, and seeps into the blood, bones and brains of thousands of kids. It happens soon after they learn to stand or walk, and long before they learn to read. The majority of these kids come from the city’s poorest families.”

Lead paint poisoning, he said, is a particular concern for Wisconsin, given that Milwaukee’s children are almost six times more prone to the illness than their peers nationwide.

Earlier post: Lead paint issue isn't about lawyers; It's about victims poisoned for life.