Last week, Tameka Raymond visited the Holiday Marina at Lake Lanier, the same lake where her 11 year old son,?Kile Glover, was killed in an unfortunate jet ski accident last Summer.
[READ: Arrest Made in Jet Ski Death of Kile Glover + Tameka Raymond Lobbies for Tougher Water Safety Laws…]
Tameka’s visit was clearly a bittersweet one. ? The grieving mother, who wore a shirt bearing her late son’s image, witnessed her hard work come to fruition as she watched Georgia Governor Nathan Deal sign SB 136 in to law (April 23, 2013).
[Sidebar: SB 136 was a bill that lowers the blood-alcohol content limit for boaters from the standard .10 to an .08, it also increases penalties for those caught boating while intoxicated. The legislation also serves to better educate the public on boater safety and guidelines.]
More photos + details below…
During the signing, Governor Deal weighed in on boating safety issues, stating:
Far too many tragedies have occurred as a result of boating under the influence and inadequate boater education.
Last June, I vowed to work with the General Assembly to pass legislation in honor of Jake and Griffin Prince, who lost their lives last summer in a tragic accident. As I have said, if you are too drunk to drive an automobile, you are too drunk to drive a boat.?
Tameka poses with Tara Prince (mother who lost sons Jake & Griffin in boating accident)
The Jake and Griffin Prince BUI Law is the portion of the bill that lowers the blood-alcohol content (BAC) limit to match the requirements for Georgia?s automobile drivers. Previously, Georgia was one of only eight states that allowed a higher BAC limit for boating than for driving.
The Kile Glover Boat Education Law, is the portion of the bill that honors Tameka and Ryan Glover’s son, Kile, who was struck and killed by a jet watercraft last summer on Lake Lanier. The statute requires a boater safety education course for all motorized vessel operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1998, and it mandates that youths 13 years old and under wear life jackets on a moving boat.
[PHOTOS: Tameka Raymond Launches The Kile Glover Foundation… ]
Governor Deal addressed Tameka directly during his speech, stating:
To Tameka Raymond, Kile Glover?s mother, and the members of the Prince family, I want to thank you for your support of these important laws.
I also want to express my gratitude to Sen. Butch Miller and the other legislators involved in drafting and sponsoring this bill, as well as DNR Commissioner Mark Williams, his staff, law enforcement officials, and anyone else who played a role in ensuring that this bill became law.
I sign this bill for all the Kiles, all the Jakes and all the Griffins in our state. And, ultimately, I sign this bill for a safer Georgia.
Tameka poses with Gov. Deal and her attorney Ashely Bell…
Congratulations to Tameka and her attorneys for championing such a noble cause.
(March 29, 2001 – July 21, 2012)
In case you missed it:
R.I.P. Kile Glover: A Beautiful Mind Is Laid to Rest… (PHOTOS + VIDEO)
Family Friend Responsible For Kile’s Death Pleads ‘Not Guilty’…