Latest news with #parentalrights
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The week ahead: Hot button bills face lawmakers in final, regular week of business
The final week of regular business for the New Hampshire Legislature features showdown debates on many top issues, from parental rights and mandatory prison terms for drug dealers, to a 'bell-to-bell' ban on cellphone use in public schools and universal access to Education Freedom Accounts (EFAs). While much of the attention at the State House will be on the finishing touches to a proposed two-year state budget in the Senate, lawmakers face a Thursday deadline for final action on all other bills. Once they clear those decks, the closing weeks of the session will come down to the work of committees of conference to be named to thrash out differences between competing versions of the same bill. Gov. Kelly Ayotte has listed parental rights as a priority issue for her to achieve in 2025 and the House and Senate each have their own versions (HB 10 and SB 72) to debate this week. The real battle is in the House where House Child and Family Law Committee Chair Debra DeSimone, R-Atkinson, has crafted a compromise said to have the backing of Senate GOP leaders. DeSimone defended the most controversial provision that could prevent minors from being able to obtain contraception without parental consent. 'Disastrous consequences' 'No children should ever be prescribed any medical procedures or medication without parental consent to protect all children from undue and unnecessary harm by parental knowledge and information provided concerning family history,' DeSimone said. 'This bill is necessary to continue to build a strong, healthy society.' Rep. Heather Raymond, D-Nashua, said such a policy could have disastrous consequences. 'In states like Texas which now require parental permission for birth control, teen pregnancy rates have increased along with the rates of maternal and infant death,' said Raymond, noting that New Hampshire has the lowest teen birth rate in the U.S. House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Chairman Terry Roy, R-Deerfield, has reworked a bill (SB 14) that also has Ayotte's backing to impose longer minimum mandatory prison sentences for possessing large amounts of fentanyl or selling drugs that cause someone's death. 'It's time for New Hampshire to reclaim its place in New England as the state that dealers fear to tread,' Roy said. Roy's proposal would allow a judge to impose a more lenient sentence if the offender met several conditions including a clean record prior to this latest conviction. 'Under this bill, if a defendant is cooperative with law enforcement, not a leader in a drug dealing organization, does not have a recent conviction for the same thing, and the charges do not involve violence, a judge is free to use their discretion,' Roy said. Rep. Buzz Scherr, D-Portsmouth and an appellate law expert, said the bill is a political talking point, not an answer to dealing with deadly overdoses. 'Mandatory minimums for fentanyl continue to have a superficial political attraction as an easy solution, but, they always fail in practice,' Scherr said. 'We do not need to spend even more money on prisons for a solution that doesn't work.' Firearms training in public schools Roy championed another sweeping and controversial provision, adopting a mandatory one-hour firearms training course in K-12. A former police officer, Roy attached his provision as an amendment to an unrelated bill (SB 54) that would increase the penalty for someone accused of driving drunk who refuses to take a blood alcohol test. The House and Senate will each vote on two bills (SB 295 and HB 115) allowing all families regardless of income to receive a taxpayer-paid scholarship to help offset their student attending a private, religious, alternative public or home school program The House is likely to approve Ayotte's approach to cellphone use, which is to direct school boards to adopt policies that restrict access throughout the school day (SB 206). Both the House and Senate have passed versions of a more lenient reform that would give school boards more latitude on when they would be accessible. Democrats on the House Finance Committee oppose this latest idea because Republicans rejected their attempt to carve out an exemption for any teacher who wanted to incorporate cellphone use into a specific lesson plan. In other actions: • Mandatory mask policies (HB 361): The Senate is likely to pass this House-endorsed bill to block school districts from requiring mask wearing; former Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed an identical bill last year; • Capital budget (HB 25): The Senate will vote on its version of a two-year budget for public works projects financed by state, federal and fee-backed bonds. • Risk pools (SB 297): Secretary of State David Scanlan opposes and HealthTrust, the largest risk pool, supports this bill to allow either regulation by Scanlan or the Insurance Department of these programs that offer health, property or liability insurance to governmental units. klandrigan@
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘Classrooms into closets': LGBTQ student club ban clears Texas Legislature
Texas Legislation billed as empowering parents will harm LGBTQ public school students, Democratic lawmakers said during a May 31 debate. The wide-ranging education bill, Senate Bill 12, cleared its final hurdles before heading to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, after the latest version of legislation, crafted in a conference committee of House and Senate members, advanced from both chambers on Saturday. 'SB 12 isn't about protecting children or parental rights,' said Rep. Jessica González, a Dallas Democrat who serves as vice-chair of the Texas House LGBTQ+ Caucus. 'It's about silencing them. It's about erasing families, banning truth and turning our classrooms into closets.' Democrats called particular attention to a portion of the bill banning LGBTQ clubs at public schools. The bill, called the 'Texas Parent Bill of Rights' by supporters, says student clubs cannot be 'based on sexual orientation or gender identity.' Public schools also cannot provide instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity, the bill says. The measure sparked a tense exchange between Rep. Erin Zwiener, a Driftwood Democrat, and the bill's House sponsor Rep. Jeff Leach, a Plano Republican. Zwiener asked whether the bill bars students from organizing gay-straight alliance clubs. During the back and forth, Leach said the bill will not allow 'gay clubs' or 'straight clubs' in schools. 'We shouldn't be sexualizing our kids in public schools, period,' Leach said. 'And we shouldn't have clubs based on sex. I believe that, and that's what the bill does.' That doesn't mean students have to hide who they are or that he believes in bullying or discrimination, Leach said. 'If a student is struggling with their sexuality or their identity, and they want to talk to their friends at school about it, or talk to a teacher or talk to a counselor, that's fine, if they have the parent's consent,' Leach said. 'But we do not need to have school sponsored and school sanctioned sex clubs. Period.' 'Wow,' Zwiener said. These clubs are the place where LGBTQ students feel safe and can build a social network where they're not bullied, Zwiener said, sharing that she came out to one friend when she was 16 and didn't tell anyone else for a decade. There's been a generational change since then, and teenagers who are LGBTQ are feeling safe enough to come out, in a way that didn't exist when she and Leach were in school, Zwiener said. Leach countered that schools were not 'hyper-sexualized' the the way they seem to be moving today. Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Dallas Democrat, called the bill 'bad policy.' Clubs for LGBTQ students are no more about sex than the 4-H club, ROTC or the basketball team, Anchia said. Anchia said his daughter served as the vice president of her school's Pride club. 'They'd get together, and they'd watch movies,' he said. 'They'd color. They'd go to musicals. It was about a kid who felt weird who found her people.' Leach later apologized for remarks offending anyone or being taken in a way that wasn't intended. Leach said he misspoke. 'I apologize for that word blunder,' Leach said. Leach said he believes strongly in the bill. Parents should have a 'seat at the head of the table,' when it comes to their child's education, he said. His daughter is in a club called PALS, which stands for peer assisted leadership, Leach said. There's an array of students who are struggling with issues teenagers face, and who think and believe different things, he said. Leach's daughter has learned 'not to separate yourself with people that you agree with,' but to learn how to reason with each other and be respectful and kind, Leach said. 'Those clubs are the clubs that we should be promoting, and those are the clubs that this bill protects,' Leach said. 'And I would hope that a student would feel eager to join those clubs. Feel eager to be free to express themselves and wrestle with the things they wrestle with, and to do life with their fellow students.' Among its various measures, the legislation outlines a ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives in public schools. It says school districts cannot assist with 'social transitioning,' banning the use of 'a different name, different pronouns, or other expressions of gender that deny or encourage a denial of the person's biological sex at birth.' The bill also requires school boards to let parents submit comments electronically and adopt a policy for grievances. It says a school district cannot withhold information about a child from parents, and outlines parents' right to information about their child's health, including mental health. Districts must give parents information about their rights when they first enroll their child in a district, among other required notices. Near the start of the legislation is a prohibition on the 'infringement of parental rights.' It reads: 'The fundamental rights granted to parents by their Creator and upheld by the United States Constitution, the Texas Constitution and the laws of this state, including the right to direct the moral and religious training of the parent's child, make decisions concerning the child's education, and consent to medical, psychiatric, and psychological treatment of the parent's child ... may not be infringed on by any public elementary school or secondary school or state governmental entity' unless the infringement is to 'further compelling state interest, such as providing life saving care to a child' and is 'narrowly tailored using the least restrictive means to achieve that compelling state interest.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
‘Who's my dad?'
Opinion It's far too difficult for Canadians conceived by donors to get an answer to that seemingly simple question, thanks to rules that protect parents, clinics and donors themselves. Why is change taking so long? Aviva Coopersmith The Globe and Mail PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: THE GLOBE AND MAIL/GETTY IMAGES to view this content.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas parents, school boards may have more control over school library books after House OKs bill
The Texas House gave preliminary approval Monday to a bill that would give Texas parents and school boards a bigger role over what books students can access in public school libraries. Senate Bill 13 would give school boards, not school librarians, the final say over what materials are allowed in their schools' libraries by creating a framework for them to remove books based on complaints they receive. The bill would allow school boards to oversee book approvals and removals, or delegate the responsibility to local school advisory councils if 20% of parents in a district sign a petition allowing their creation. Previously, SB 13 mandated the creation of those councils when it passed through the Senate in March, but the petition requirement was added in a House committee. SB 13, initially passed by the House 87-57, also includes definitions for what constitutes harmful material and indecent content, which led Democratic representatives to express concerns about overzealous bans on books. During the discussion on the House floor Monday, Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, pointed specifically to bill language requiring approved books to adhere to 'local community values,' which he said could lead small, vocal groups of people to limit students' book access. Talarico said titles often taught in public schools — like Catcher in the Rye, Lonesome Dove and the Bible — could end up banned under some of the bill's vague and subjective interpretations. 'If your answer to 'could Romeo and Juliet be banned,' if it is anything other than 'of course not,' then that is a serious problem,' Talarico said. Rep. Erin Zweiner, D-Driftwood, also worried the bill could lead to overly broad book bans. 'What is indecent for a 17 year old is not the same as what is indecent for a five year old,' she said. Rep. Brad Buckley, the bill's House sponsor, called community values the 'bedrock' of public policy, and the Salado Republican dismissed potential removal of classics as a 'red herring' argument. 'A speaker before me said we should cherish the value of books. Well, maybe so, but I would argue we should cherish and value our kids more, and Senate Bill 13 will do exactly that,' Buckley said. Representatives supportive of the bill said SB 13 would give parents better control over what materials their children can access.' About 16% of complaints about school library books last year were initiated by parents, according to a report from the American Libraries Association, while 72% came from elected officials, pressure groups and board members and administrators. Several amendments by Democratic representatives aiming to loosen the bill's language on profane content failed. An amendment by Rep. Brent Money, R-Greenville, which also failed, would have lowered the threshold to petition the creation of an advisory council to 50 signatures from parents, and would have required that the councils only be made up by people who signed the petition. The bill would also extend regulation introduced by a law passed in 2023 aimed at keeping 'sexually explicit' material out of school libraries. House Bill 900 was partially blocked from implementing a book rating system by a federal appeals court. Opponents of the bill have worried not only about restricting book access, but also about the administrative backlog that having to approve each new library book could create. School boards will have 90 days after complaints on each book are filed to reach a decision on whether to add, keep or remove material from school bookshelves. Roughly 540 books were banned in Texas schools during the 2023-24 school year, according to PEN America, an organization that has tracked book bans throughout the country. The bill, one of Senate leader Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's listed legislative priorities, now heads back to the upper chamber to be approved. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Tarrant County mother who claimed "medical kidnapping" indicted
A Tarrant County mother indicted for injury to a child says her focus remains on her daughter's recovery, as she and her husband continue to fight what they call a case of "medical kidnapping." Mother fights allegations CBS News Texas "It's not just traumatizing to us. It put her through a lot as well," the mother said. A grand jury indicted the 29-year-old on a charge of injury to a child/elderly/disabled with reckless bodily injury. The Tarrant County District Attorney's Office declined to comment on the case. Infant's fractures spark legal battle The incident dates back to Nov. 15, 2024, when the parents were watching a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. The mother said her infant daughter, Jirah, had trouble latching and gaining weight. Following expert advice, she reduced breastfeeding due to overproduction and used a latching device. During one feeding, she said milk overflowed and startled the baby when she moved her quickly. Later, the parents noticed the baby's arm was limp. They took her to Children's Health in Dallas, where X-rays revealed a broken arm. "In my head, I thought it was probably just a dislocated arm," the father said. "They x-rayed her, and the guy said she has a broken arm. Like any other parents, we were surprised. How in the world does my child have a broken arm?" CPS involvement after hospital visit Hospital staff contacted Child Protective Services after discovering the broken arm and 16 internal fractures. The parents said they were unaware of the additional injuries but became concerned about the child's low vitamin D levels. The mother said she researched the symptoms and suspected rickets, a condition that weakens bones, especially in children with darker skin tones and a family history of the disease. Children's Health issued a statement saying, "Our top priority is the health and well-being of all our patients. Due to patient privacy concerns, we do not discuss the status of individual patients." Child Protective Services also declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing confidentiality, but said it is complying with court orders. Parents blame rickets, not abuse Attorney Shelly Troberman-Miller, who represented the family, said early lab results showed signs of bone health issues that were overlooked. "Just the initial labs were so clearly indicative of a child who had some issue with bone health that that should not have been ignored," she said. Judge returns baby, indictment follows The child was returned to her parents in late March after they temporarily lost custody. By that time, the mother had been arrested. "This is as destructive to families as missing abuse in certain cases," Troberman-Miller said. "If you don't have a lot of money to defend yourself with highly qualified experts, you aren't getting your baby back." Although a judge allowed the child to return home, prosecutors pursued an indictment. The grand jury alleged the mother caused the injury by "aggressively grabbing, twisting, or pulling the arm of an infant child." A heavily redacted arrest warrant from Mansfield police described the incident as involving "grabbing and pulling with force sufficient to cause the fracture." The mother is scheduled to make her first court appearance next month.
