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| Date: From: Subject: | 2/17/2006 1:36:26 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Iowa -- Calls Needed to Protect Parental Rights |
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====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== February 17, 2006 Dear HSLDA members and friends, A bill that would allow a judge to enforce his own opinion over the parent's opinion on the question of children spending time with grandparents will be heard in committee on Monday, February 20. The bill is Senate File 2031 (S.F. 2031) and while it is called a "Grandparents Rights" bill, it should really be called a "Parental Rights Reduction Bill." Over the years, Home School Legal Defense Association has represented member families in conflict with grandparents who did not like homeschooling. These grandparents would try to stop the parents homeschooling through various means including turning the family over to child welfare services. Thankfully, most grandparents support homeschooling and in some situations even participate in the teaching. However, S.F. 2031 would give grandparents and great-grandparents the right to receive visitation rights if the judge believes either that the parent is unfit to make the decision, or that denying visitation poses substantial harm to the child. The bill is scheduled for a hearing Monday at 5 p.m. in the Senate Human Resources Committee. Your calls can make the difference. ACTION REQUESTED: If your senator is listed, please call them via the Senate Switchboard at (515) 281-3371 or at a number listed below and give them this message: "Please vote against S.F. 2031. This bill violates parental rights and is unconstitutional because it is vague. This bill gives judges total discretion to second guess capable parents. We urge you to trust parents and oppose this bill." You do not need to identify yourself as a homeschooler but simply as a concerned parent. Use our legislative toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/toolbox to determine who your senator is. Amanda Ragan (Co-Chair) (H) (641) 424-0874 (W) (641) 424-2316 James A. Seymour (Co-Chair) (H) (712) 647-2699 Jerry Behn (H) (515) 432-7327 Nancy J. Boettger (H) (712) 744-3290 (W) (712) 744-3290 Joe Bolkcom (H) (319) 337-6280 William A. Dotzler, Jr. (H) (319) 296-2947 E. Thurman Gaskill (H) (515) 583-2449 (W) (515) 583-2449 Jack Hatch (H) (515) 243-2033 (B) (515) 244-2941 Hubert Houser (H) (712) 486-2597 David Johnson (H) (712) 758-3280 Keith A. Kreiman (H) (641) 664-2811 (W) (515) 210-0560 Herman C. Quirmbach (H) (515) 292-8984 Maggie Tinsman (H) (563) 332-5522 (W) (563) 359-3624 Frank B. Wood (H) (563) 285-5311 (W) (563) 285-3218 BACKGROUND: It is the right of fit parents in an intact family to decide with whom their children spend time. Unless they have been declared unfit parents, their decision should not be subject to second guessing by a judge. This bill gives judges the unprecedented power to declare that parents are unfit to make a specific decision. If this bill passes, it would embolden others to give judges power to declare parents unfit to make other decisions. The bill gives a dangerous amount of power to judges because it sets no standards for what makes a parent unfit to make a decision about grandparent visitation, or what would constitute "substantial harm" from not spending time with grandparents. Thank you for taking the time to protect parental rights. Sincerely, Scott Woodruff HSLDA Staff Attorney ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What do you look like when you get out of bed? It's hard to look our best all the time. HSLDA works to present homeschooling in an engaging, dynamic, and informative light to the public news media. 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Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
