Toxic Mold. When it Happens to You.

The State of Oregon has taken a huge step in preventing toxic mold in new home construction with House Bill 2112-B by banning the use of synthetic stucco. Synthetic stucco has been the subject of a number of investigations including one by NBC Dateline. Homeowners have claimed the product causes water retention within the walls leading to wood rot which in turn leads to mold contamination.

Salem Republican Jackie Winters rose to speak on the Senate floor recently to propose banning the use of synthetic stucco on Oregon homes.

Winters said she was acting on behalf of Salem constituents plagued by a mold outbreak, which they blamed on water leakage caused by defective stucco.

An 11-year-old girl developed a brain tumor traced to the mold. The girl's mother experienced bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis. Her father suffered gastrointestinal illness and lost 30 pounds.

"They had to redo their house, and they had a dog that died," Winters said. "This product should not be allowed in Oregon."

Pets dying, chronic illness, and weight lost is very typical for the average family suffering from a mold contaminated home. What is not typical is who this happened to:

Then she unleashed a bombshell.

The girl is Winters' granddaughter Whitney McClain, daughter of the senator's son Bill McClain and his wife, Pam.

As Winters spoke, Whitney was at Doernbecher Children's Hospital getting an MRI, which she must undergo every three months after enduring two brain surgeries.

"They're my constituents as well as my family," Winters said, "and we didn't want to see anyone else go through what they went through."

It is unfortunate that before something is done to prevent mold contamination in new home construction, an elected official's family has to be harmed. Of course here in Texas that doesn't happen.

State Representative Joe Nixon who championed tort reform for the insurance companies had his house remediated for over $300,000 all the while mold hearings were being conducted across Texas. Nixon remained silent.

And the Attorney General's Lubbock office was remediated, as well as the Governor Mansion. (surprise!) And yet nothinng has been done here in the state to ban products which lead to mold contamination.

Nixon's tort reform buddies at the mold hearings in Austin claimed "mold is gold" and that homeowners were just trying to get their home remodeled. Someone needs to tell that to the Senator from Oregon.