Kids need both a mom and a dad equally, and the facts show that kids and society are hurting and suffering without equal parenting.
The Texas Equal Parenting Bill HB 803 has been filed! It will make the new standard possession order starting point equal possession and access in custody cases when a Judge determines both parents are joint managing conservators. When both parents are fit, the children should have a right to see them both equally as a starting point, and then go down from there with just cause. Kids win!
Unequal Parenting HARMS Children
The majority of teen crime, teen drug use, teen pregnancy, teen suicide, and even nearly all school shooters had unequal parenting homes. This crisis is harming children and society. Texas family law doesn’t have an equal starting point, and that incentivizes parents to fight in court over more time and use kids as pawns. Kids get hurt when parents fight instead of equally parenting. The family court starting point should be equal parenting when both parents are fit because this is best for the children. Kids have a right to have equal access to both fit parents.
Sixty peer-reviewed studies prove that it's best for kids when they spend equal time with both parents. Furthermore, not only do we know that equal parenting helps children, we unfortunately also know that unequal parenting harms children and society GREATLY.
All of these studies, facts, and more info about the benefits of equal parenting and the harm of unequal parenting, and especially fatherless homes, can be found at Equal Justice Task Force.
There is virtually no opposition to this bill. Last session the bill heard testimony from dozens of people in favor of it. Only a couple paid attorney lobbyists opposed it, I suppose because they might not make as much off of family court fighting if parents are getting along more and sharing the kids. Even the lobbyists agreed that equal parenting is important, but the lobbyists say there is already nearly equal time with both parents in the current law, so why change it? Fortunately, that sole argument against equal parenting doesn’t hold water anymore after last session when one state rep in committee eviscerated the idea that there is already equality in current law by showing the breakdown of the days and showing that under the current law, the standard possession order starts off at one parent getting most of the time and the other parent getting every other weekend. That is not equal parenting and it greatly harms children. The lobbyists went on to say that you could theoretically get equal parenting by getting a judge to order it, but even the lobbyists admitted that it would cost $50,000 for an attorney to take the case to trial to try to get equal custody. DO average families have 50k to get equal parenting? This unequal system is hurting society and hurting children and it incentivizes fighting and bickering in court to get more time. This new equal parenting law will make equal possession and access the NEW standard starting point in child custody cases when both parents are fit. This means a kid starts off at getting to see BOTH good parents equally as the starting point without having to fight for it. This will cut out lots of fighting in court and cut down on harm to children.
Under HB 803, a judge will still have discretion to go down from equal parenting based on written findings of issues that, for instance, if evidence shows it would harm the child’s health and mental wellbeing or if the parents live 1000 miles away. So equal parenting laws do not take away from a judge’s ability to make decisions in child custody cases based on evidence of issues that would support not having exactly equal parenting. What the law does is create the new STARTING point as equal custody when both parents are fit. Kids win! They won’t get fought over as much, and get to see both parents more equally.
Kentucky Equal Parenting Law PROVES it works! In fact, After Kentucky passed an equal parenting bill last session, the stats show that fighting in child custody courts went DOWN 11 percent already, and even domestic violence cases went down. There really is no reason not to have equal parenting as a new tool in the toolbox for family judges to be able to check off equal parenting as the starting point for kids and then go down from there with just cause. This is about helping the kids who are hurting and suffering. Let’s stand for our kids and get this law passed! The old law from half a century ago is just not working anymore and it is just no longer the best way. Equal parenting is the future!
The Equal Parenting Bill has BIPARTISAN support
In a time of so much divisiveness, Texas Democrats and Republicans agree that the Equal Parenting Law should pass. Let’s show America that both sides can come together this session and pass one of the most impactful laws of our time. LET IT GET TO A VOTE ON THE FLOOR.
Democrats and Women Activists Want Equal Parenting such as former Dem State Rep Gina Calanni, who fiercely stood up for the Equal Parenting Law in committee last session (where the bill was passed out of committee nearly unanimously by Dems and Reps). Leading Democrat women’s rights activists such as Emma Johnson with Mom’s for Share Parenting stand for equal parenting to bring more equal opportunity to women who could earn more but are often times held back with having to take most of the responsibility of raising children because of unequal parenting. Democrats widely support equal parenting.
Republicans Want Equal Parenting. In fact, the Texas Republican Party added equal parenting (equal possession and access for fit, willing and able parents) to their state platform, and equal parenting even came out of the convention committee as a top six Republican priority because equal parenting laws will help society and help preserve families for kids. Unequal parenting is hurting children and society. Kids need both parents equally as the new starting point in child custody cases and Republicans widely support this.
No comments:
Post a Comment