Democrats aim at parental rights

When the Legislature's majority Democrats joined Republicans to pass the parental-rights initiative during our 2024 session, did they do so to keep the popular measure from being passed by voters in November, making it possible for them to gut the new law this year over Republican objections?

Perhaps.

But one thing is certain: Democrats in the state Senate have acted quickly to undermine Initiative 2081 law less than a year later.

Senate Bill 5181 was hustled through the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee on Jan. 23. Republicans expect a vote in the Senate chamber as soon as today, Wednesday, Feb. 5.

This partisan attempt to weaken or eliminate parental rights guaranteed in the law created by Initiative 2081 wouldn't just override the 454,000 state voters who signed I-2081 petitions. It also represents a betrayal of the parents and guardians who saw the law as providing a path to a more transparent and constructive relationship within their local schools.

For instance, S.B. 5181 would end the right of parents to receive prior notification from schools when non-emergency medical services are offered to their child. It would end the right to be notified when the school has arranged directly or indirectly for medical treatment that results in follow-up care beyond normal school hours.

The parental-rights law requires schools to immediately notify parents if – during school time, on school property – their child commits a crime, is the victim of a crime, or is questioned by police about something not related to parental neglect or abuse. In S.B. 5181, Democrats replace "immediately" with "at the first opportunity, but in all cases within 48 hours."

What parent would be happy waiting that long to find out their child was a victim of a crime?

Finally, the bill is written to prohibit voters from filing a referendum to challenge it at the ballot. Are Democrats afraid of voters?

Those across Washington who cherish their constitutional power to make laws through initiatives may wonder how an approved voter initiative could be threatened like this.

When an initiative goes to the ballot and is approved by a majority of the people, our constitution gives it special protection. Legislators may not change the law for two years without a two-thirds vote in each legislative chamber.

When an initiative is passed in a legislative session, however, it has no such protection. Like any law it can be changed the very next year, with a simple-majority vote.

Our Democratic colleagues would have known this when one said she was "comfortable" supporting the initiative because she didn't believe it changed "any of the protections for our young people, especially for those who identify as LGBTQ and gender-expansive."

That King County senator is the prime sponsor of S.B. 5181. Maybe her opinion changed – but it's also fair to question whether this was the Democrats' strategy all along.

It's been claimed Democrats are trying to "provide clarity" to school districts, yet school board members who testified at the public hearing on S.B. 5181 were opposed to her bill.

Parents and others who oppose this partisan attack on parents' rights can provide some clarity of their own.

Go online to leg.wa.gov and click on "legislators," scroll to the roster of members and click on each Democratic member's space to find his or her phone number and email information. An alternative is to call 800-562-6000, the legislative hotline, and ask for Democratic legislators by name.

Be courteous, but firm, about how the I-2081 law should be left alone and how S.B. 5181 would put government between children and their parents at a time when these young people could benefit most from parental guidance.

It's hard to believe Democrats would put such a high priority on overriding voters and betraying parents – but they do seem determined.

This is not the way to make our state better.

- Sen. John Braun of Centralia serves the 20th Legislative District, which spans parts of four counties from Yelm to Vancouver.