State legislators have again introduced a Parents’ Bill of Rights proposal. The bill enumerates numerous rights parents have related to their children, including the right to determine a child’s religion, the right to determine the type of school or educational setting the child attends, and the right to determine a child’s name and pronouns used at school. Importantly, the bill also recognizes parents have inalienable rights that are more comprehensive than those included in the bill. To date the bill has not had a hearing in either house.
Parents’ rights should not have to be spelled out in state law, but situations happening all too often in our society compel bills such as this one. This bill is similar to the bill the legislature passed last session and that the governor ultimately vetoed citing his loyalty to public schools as the reason for the veto.
