Advocates for “Parental Rights” bills like HB 1081 contend that these laws aim to increase transparency and protect against school officials’ interference with parents’ rights to direct their children’s upbringing with respect to education, health, religion, and other matters.
But let’s be clear. Parental rights bills are an assault on public education.
Under HB 1081, nearly every government rule, policy, and law that affects children could be labelled an “infringement” of parent rights and subject to strict scrutiny, the toughest legal standard for the government to overcome. This would undermine public schools’ ability to educate students and could undermine the state’s ability to protect children from abuse.
The bill will allow parents to wield their personal religious, political, philosophical, and/or moral beliefs to stymie or undermine educational priorities and school curricula.
HB 1081 passed the House and is now before the senate education committee. Tuesday, March 4th, is the deadline for the committee to act on the bill.
