March 24, 2014 Call Now to Support OK Parental Rights Bill House Bill 1384 is making its way through the Oklahoma Legislature. House Bill 1384 would ensure that the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, health care and mental health of their children is a fundamental right.” This bill needs to be heard in the Judiciary Committee this week, as time is running out on this years legislative session. If passed, House Bill 1384 would prohibit the state from infringing upon parents’ rights unless the state could demonstrate that there is a compelling governmental interest as applied to the child. In order to override the parents’ right the governmental interest must be of the highest order. In addition, the restriction of the parental right must be narrowly tailored and there must be no other, less restrictive means by which the state interest could be met. The whole purpose in this standard is to ensure that Oklahoma law recognizes that parental rights are fundamental. The language used in House Bill 1384 follows a number of U.S. Supreme Court cases and is closely modeled after a statute in Arizona. Action Items 1. Contact the Senate Judiciary Committee members listed below and give them this message in your own words: “Please support House Bill 1384. This bill will ensure that parents’ fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their children is clearly established in Oklahoma law. As parents, our greatest concern is for the well-being of our children. I ask you to vote in favor of House Bill 1384.” Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Anthony Sykes—Chair Phone: (405) 521-5569 Email: [email protected] Senator Rob Johnson—Vice Chair Phone: (405) 521-5592 Email: [email protected] Senator Mark Allen Phone: (405) 521-5576 Email: [email protected] Senator Patrick Anderson Phone: (405) 521-5630 Email: [email protected] Senator Brian Crain Phone: (405) 521-5620 Email: [email protected] Senator David Holt Phone: (405) 521-5636 Email: [email protected] Senator Tom Ivester Phone: (405) 521-5545 Email: [email protected] Senator Jabar Shumate Phone: (405) 521-5598 Email: [email protected] Senator A.J. Griffin (sponsor of HB 1384—Please thank for support) Phone: (405) 521-5628 Email: [email protected] 2. Contact your own state senator and give him or her this message in your own words: “Please support House Bill 1384. This bill will ensure that parents’ fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of their children is clearly established in Oklahoma. As a constituent and a parent my greatest concern is for the well-being of my children. I ask you to vote in favor of House Bill 1384 and help bring this bill to a vote.” You can find the contact information for your state senator online. Background Besides further acknowledging the fact that parents have the right to direct their child’s education, House Bill 1384 also protects the following: • The right to direct the upbringing of your minor child. • The right to direct the moral or religious training of your minor child. • The right to make healthcare decisions for your minor child. • The right to access and review all medical records of your minor child (unless otherwise prohibited by law). • The right to consent in writing before a biometric scan of your minor child is made. • The right to consent in writing before any record of your child’s blood or DNA is created. • The right to consent in writing before the state makes a video/voice recording of your child (certain limited exceptions). • The right to be notified promptly when any state employee/entity suspects that a criminal offense has been committed against your child by someone other than you. There is also language in House Bill 1384 that states that parents have inalienable rights that are more comprehensive than those listed in the bill, and that it does not prescribe all rights of parents. Finally, House Bill 1384 does not authorize or allow a parent to engage in any abusive or neglectful conduct. Under the bill, no parent would have an excuse to abuse or neglect a child in violation of already existing Oklahoma law. The bill would also not provide any protection for any parental action or decision that would end life. Thank you for your part in fighting for parental rights in Oklahoma. Feel free to forward this to your friends who support parental rights. Sincerely, Michael Ramey Director of Communications & Research
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:25:46 +0000