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Lawmakers: Victims of domestic violence may get out of lease Legislation would allow domestic violence victims out of lease

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Domestic violence most often involves an out-of-control male stalking, hurting or killing his wife or former partner. It is not an issue to be taken lightly.

Fortunately, most members of the Arizona Legislature understand that. The House on Monday voted 44-11 in favor of a bill that allows a victim of domestic violence to terminate a rental lease and move out of an apartment without any penalties from the landlord.

The Senate had previously passed a similar bill, and must make some changes to incorporate the terms of the House bill.

We urge lawmakers to do so promptly. We also encourage them to ignore the lamentable objections to the bills brought by Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert.

"The responsibility to protect women and children in domestic violence circumstances is the government's, not individual businesses'," Farnsworth said in a Star story Tuesday by Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Service. Farnsworth found it disturbing that lawmakers seem eager to shift that burden — and the financial losses that go with it.

This is a classic case of misplaced priorities, as even the Arizona Multihousing Association, which represents landlords, realized. The group supported the bill making it easier for domestic violence victims to get out of a lease.

Most businesses understand the seriousness of domestic violence. We doubt any would feel comfortable knowing that their hard line on leases led to a homicide.

Only if we assume that profit is more important than life can we support Farnsworth's narrow definition of responsibility. Business is not responsible for protecting the individual, government is, he maintains.

We're more inclined to believe that it is not exclusively government or business. It's a responsibility we share as members of the human community.

We'd prefer not to live in a society that determines the rightness or wrongness of its decision on the basis of how it affects a spreadsheet.

A man or woman threatened by a potentially violent spouse should not have his or her fate linked to the economic success of any business enterprise.

Domestic violence is not a minor issue. In a story two weeks ago, reporter Jane Erikson wrote that in one 24-hour period last fall, at least 1,122 women, men and children sought refuge from domestic violence through shelters and other services throughout Arizona.

In addition, 347 victims placed calls to crisis lines, seeking advice. Nationally, 48,000 adult and child victims sought help during the same 24- hour period.

We stress: These are the numbers for only one 24-hour period.

Sara Jones, executive director of the Tucson Centers for Women and Children, runs a shelter that contains 55 beds and serves more than 1,600 women and children every year. The Brewster Center, another Tucson shelter, has 44 beds and served about 800 clients in the 12 months that ended last June, Erikson reported.

And these numbers are probably an understatement. Experts in the field know that numerous cases go unreported because the victims are either too embarrassed or too scared to seek help.

We applaud the House and Senate for addressing this issue and look forward to the bill being signed by Gov. Janet Napolitano.