Burnett Weighs in on WA Parents Bill of Rights in Olympia

The Washington state Legislature is continuing debate changes to the Parents Bill of Rights.  The citizen's initiative to the legislature is facing a series of revisions  that lawmakers agreed to enact into law last year.

12th District Rep. Brian Burnett opposes House Bill 1296

"We don't call this a slow creep anymore. it's a hostile takeover of parental rights and it's wrong" Burnett said.  Appearing on the KPQ Legislative Hotline, the 12th District Republican Burnett said a parent of a child has the right to mold that youngster with integrity and in a safe manner of their choosing free of dictates from the state.

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Among the provisions of last year's I-2081,  was the requirement that parents be notified immediately if their child was involved in an incident at school or of a health care decision a student may not want their parents to be aware of.

HB 1296 proposes a return to a 48-hour notification period that was policy for two decades. Democrats say delaying parental notification allows schools or law enforcement time to assess the situation.

Proponents of the bill under debate argue the Parents Bill of Rights is not consistent with existing laws that allow young people rights to make health care decisions.

Democrats are concerned about the privacy of students, particularly children who identify as LGBTQ.

The conservative-backed Initiative 2081 established 15  rights for parents to access or inspect their child’s school records.

A Senate version (SB 5181) would amend the Parents’ Rights Initiative to align with state and federal laws. The bill has passed the Senate and is now under debate in the House