Joint Legislative Newsflash – January 17, 2017

From: Roy Hanson — Family Protection Ministries and Mike Smith — HSLDA

Bill: SB 18 (Pan)

Subject: Bill of Rights for Children and Youth in California

Position: Strongly OPPOSE!

You have probably heard about the legislative filing of Senate Bill 18, Senator Pan’s “The Bill of Rights for Children and Youth in California,” in the State Legislature.  Part of our responsibility to you is to daily monitor all legislation introduced at our State Capitol and we have been closely following SB 18 since it was introduced on December 5, of 2016, the first day of this new 2-year legislative session.  SB 18 has not begun to move forward yet and no votes have even been scheduled.  The bill must first be assigned to committees in the CA State Senate (the house of origin) and then be assigned to its first committee hearing and subsequent vote.  No progress will take place toward SB 18 passing until it receives a majority vote on or after its first scheduled hearing. This first committee hearing and vote is not likely to take place for at least two months.

After being introduced, every bill (including SB 18) must be assigned to a scheduled hearing in each of its assigned committees before being voted on in those committees.  Only after a bill receives a majority vote in its assigned committee(s) will it progress to the next step.  It only takes a failure in one of the votes for the bill to be stopped.  It must then receive a majority vote by the whole CA Senate and then repeat this process in the CA Assembly (committee votes and then vote by whole Assembly) before being sent to the Governor for his signature or veto.

The wording in this first version of SB 18 is broad, vague, and complex.  If the introduced version of SB 18 became law in California, it would, at the very least, be a dangerous attack on parents having the legal right to make decisions for their children (ages 17 and younger) in every area of life (e.g., religion, education, social involvement, health, friendships, etc).

These are some of the reasons SB 18 is of great concern to us:

• The state would become the enforcer of these newly created children’s rights e.g. a heathy and safe environment; social and emotional well-being; an appropriate and quality education; and appropriate and quality health care. 

• It could override the current Constitutional law, which recognizes that parents have a FUNDAMENTAL LEGAL RIGHT to direct the upbringing and education of their children.
• It could result in violations of families’ FUNDAMENTAL LEGAL RIGHTS to be secure in their homes against unreasonable state intrusion.

FPM and HSLDA, are working hard on SB 18 and other bills and we will be emailing Action Alerts at the appropriate time for the greatest impact.

As we provide action alerts, in the future, please respond as requested.

Our alerts will contain further details about what this bill would do.  Based on our experience, efforts (such as calls and letters) to stop any bill are most effective after the bill is assigned to its first committee and before the scheduled committee hearing date.  

We also need to pray for the defeat of all harmful legislation, particularly SB 18.  Please forward this newsflash to your friends who support the legal rights of parents to make decisions for their minor children.

We will need your help in this battle, which will likely be a lengthy process.  This battle will require additional resources beyond what is normal for a legislative season.

Donations from supporters, like you, are necessary in order for FPM to be ready to spring into action when threats to our freedoms appear.

To donate, click here.