Wednesday, March 24, 2021

HB 803 will Bring more Equal Pay for Women with Equal Parenting, say Women Experts on CNBC

 HB 803 will Help Bring more Equal Pay for Women with Equal Parenting, say Women Experts on CNBC

 

Simply put, a vote against Texas House Bill 803 is a vote against Women’s Equality

Unequal Parenting is a root of the pay gap between men and women because when parents split and both parents have to work, the mom gets stuck with lesser paying jobs because the courts tell mothers that they should be the parent who takes on all the responsibility of raising the child while also working. There cannot be true equality between men and women until the laws make equality in parenting.

 

Moms for Shared Parenting

40m  ·  by Emma Johnson

Equal shared parenting on CNBC with the indelible Sharon Epperson #EqualPayDay:

 

"While full-time working women lag behind men in pay, making 82 cents for every $1 a man makes, mothers are even further behind. Moms earn 75 cents for every dollar paid to fathers and single mothers bring in 54 cents for every dollar earned by married men, according to the National Women’s Law Center.

 

"A recent survey shows custody arrangements have a bearing on what single mothers earn. Those with a 50/50 parenting schedule are 54% more likely to earn at least $100,000 a year than those whose kids are with them most of the time, according to the Single Mom Income and Time-Sharing Survey. It polled 2,270 single mothers in the U.S. during the summer of 2020.

 

'There is a lot of pressure on moms to be the primary parent,' said the survey’s author, Emma Johnson, founder of Wealthy Single Mommy, a website dedicated to single mothers. 'That is our culture.'"

 

Read the full article here on CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/24/equal-pay-day-single-moms-have-biggest-pay-gap.html?fbclid=IwAR0FsKBLyzSxXiPR-PJ-zTFqvmwNmgxg102odn8aQXz7PA0syMSGZbJQUIg

 

Lobbyist Attorney admits they Push all Child Raising onto the Woman

The only opposition to the massively popular and bipartisan movement for Equal Parenting is a paid lobbyist attorney. At the 2021 Organizational Meeting of the Texas House JJFI Committee, a Lobbyists with the Texas Family Law Foundation admitted to persuading men who want equal parenting in mediation that they don’t really want equal parenting because then they have to do things like take the kid to school and back. Well someone has to do it and if this lobbyist says men shouldn’t do then he must think that women, who also have jobs after a breakup and make up 47% of the workforce, should have to work full time and then also be the only one with responsibility of raising the child? This is a blatant sexism and we wonder why women don’t have the equal opportunity to have a career after a breakup because Texas Family Courts are setting them up for failure with old outdated laws. This is why HB 803 Texas Equal Parenting law is so vital. It starts both fit, good parents off on equal ground with equal parenting going into court. Kids Win with both parents in their lives, and Women get more equality!  More info: EqualJusticeTaskForce.com

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

HB 803 Helps Low-Income Families and has Bi-Partisan Support

HB 803 will Help Low Income Families

Unequal Parenting laws Hurt Low-Income Families who cannot afford an attorney and get stuck with standard orders with unequal parenting or bad deals that are not in the best interest of the children.

HB 803 Equal Parenting Bill will Help Low Income Families because it will create the starting point as equal parenting for fit, willing, and able parents.

Currently, if a low-income family wants to even try to do more than the current standard possession order unequal parenting starting point, they need an attorney that they cannot afford. This means they get stuck with bad deals and bad agreements or just accept the standard orders. This is why you see lower income families not going to court to get the judge to grant something more equal and fairer because these low-income families do not have the money to hire an attorney.

Even worse, if one parent does have money and the other parent does not, then the parent with money can get the good attorney and the other parent would not have the money to try to get equal parenting. This is the situation we see often when it is the woman who gets ordered to only see their kids every other weekend even though the parents are both good parents. Unequal starting point hurts low-income parents and hurts the kids. Equal Starting point will bring fit parents to court on even ground so less fighting and less conflict and better for the kids! That means even low-income parents who are both fit with no issues don’t need the expensive attorney to try to move up to equal parenting orders because that will be the starting point and then a judge can go down from there with just cause.

The Current Law DOES NOT have an equal parenting option, nor can parents just elect to have more time without having to hire an attorney and have a trial, nor do Judges typically grant it unless you have LOTS of MONEY to hire an attorney for a trial. Do not be fooled by lobbyists who say you can already get equal parenting in Texas. The standard order is the starting point check box that the law says a judge should check, and to vary from that takes money, which is why the new starting point for fit, willing, and able parents should be EQUAL PARENTING HB 803. It is better for courts and better for kids and Judges can still go down from there with just cause for the kids, but there will be much less fighting going into court & better deals for low-income families with both fit parents going into court on equal parenting ground.

HB 803 has Bi-Partisan Authorship!    A dozen Authors and Coauthors already have signed up to HB 803 with HALF being Republican and HALF being Democrat. With so much divisiveness in politics, this is truly a moment where both sides can come together and do something massively great for kids and for society! Support Equal Parenting!

MORE INFO: http://EqualJusticeTaskForce.com

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Democrat Women Support Equal Parenting - Vote for HB 803!

I recently posted about Republicans adding Equal Parenting to the Texas GOP Platform, but in reality this is a bi partisan issue that both Republicans and Democrats can agree on and come together to vote for HB 803 because kids need and deserve both fit parents in their lives equally. in fact, Democrats do support Equal Parenting too!

Dear Democrat Legislator:

Democrat Women support EQUAL PARENTING – Democrat Women Legislators all voted FOR this Equal Parenting bill in JJFI committee last session – Support HB 803!

Last Session, Representative, and mother, Gina Calanni destroyed the TFLF Lobbyist arguments in JJFI Committee by showing that there is NOT equal time in the current standard possession order, and to try to get equal time or even more time above the standard possession order from a judge would cost more than most can afford. Further, she destroyed the lobbyist argument that there would be increased litigation with equal parenting. She pointed out that parents fight over time with kids and with fit parents coming in to court having equal time starting point there would be no reason or incentive for them to fight over and over in court.

Rep. Gina Calanni Declared, “I just don’t understand why anyone would be against this when it gives parents actual equal access to their children” and she further pressed TFLF by asking, “How much does it cost to go to court an estimate to hear a court case in front of a judge in a custody case?” Bill Morris with TFLF responded, “custody case could be upwards of 50 thousand dollars.” To which Gina Calanni responded, “Exactly and so you’ve got people that cannot afford that and so they get stuck with a really bad standard possession order and that’s not good for the kids and that’s not good for the parent that doesn’t get it.” Gina Calanni’s grilling of TFLF made it clear that the reason the lobbyist would oppose kids having equal access to both fit parents as the new standard is because for them it might be about about what they get in attorney fees when parents fight in court, instead of the good parents getting along and the kids winning by getting to see both fit parents equally.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Declared: “Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.” (New York City Bar Association, 2001)

In fact, Moms for Shared Parenting, Emma Johnson, has done studies that show how equal parenting responsibility would help close the pay gap between men and women. When both men and women share the duties in raising a child and bringing them to school and back etc, it allows women to have more equal opportunity to have a career and make more money, instead of primarily the father getting to go have a career by not having the responsibility to equally raising a child.

Support HB 803 Equal Parenting Bill – It has already been vetted last session and passed out of committee by all of the Democrat women on the committee, but it got out too late to make it to the floor for a vote. The kids of Texas and society deserve the bill to be voted out sooner this session so that it finally gets a vote on the floor of the House.

Equal Parenting added to Texas GOP Platform and Top 15 Legislative Priority - Support HB 803

For a Texas Republican Legislator, voting against HB 803 Equal Parenting Bill this legislative session would mean voting against their own party platform, and going against a top GOP issue. That is because at the Texas GOP State Convention 2020, around 8000 Texas GOP State Delegates voted to add EQUAL PARENTING as a 2020 Texas GOP Platform Plank, because kids need both parents in their lives equally.

The 2020 Texas GOP Platform Plank 94 Declares: “Equal Parenting: We support legislation providing for equal and consistent parenting time (possession and access) for every child, when both parents are fit, willing, and able as it is in the best interest of the child.”

It was a Major win in Texas for Equal Parenting and Major win for Texas Children who want and need both parents in their lives equally and less court battles tearing them apart! The idea of equal possession and access for fit parents is not a new one, but it had never been specifically addressed by the Texas Republican Party platform, or any state party that we are aware of. That is mostly due to the idea of equal parenting being common sense that kids need and should have a right to see both good parents equally, and also due to most people had no idea that the law already didn’t set equal parenting as the standard.

We took the issue of Equal Parenting to the 2020 Republican Party of Texas state convention committees and delegates. One by one, women and mothers and men and fathers testified at the state convention about how millions of children’s lives get torn apart in family court. One by one people testified about how the current family law incentivizes conflict and incentivizes parents fighting in court for more time. No one knew that the law did not already start parents off at equal possession and access with kids after two parents split with the judge being able to go lower than equal custody with just cause. No one knew that the law actually starts parents off with standard possession order which means only one parent gets every other weekend to see their kids, and if you want equal custody or even just more time than 4 nights a month you have to fight, and go bankrupt on attorneys, and be in constant conflict in court fights with the kids in the middle as pawns. No one knew how damaging and far reaching this crisis was with unequal parenting contributing to huge financial burdens on society, and unequal parenting being the primary factor in the majority of all child issues from teen crime to teen pregnancy to teen drug use to teen suicides to teen school dropouts.

When this was presented to the Texas State Convention platform and priorities committee delegates, not only was equal parenting passed out of committee unanimously as a proposed platform plank, but it was also passed out of legislative priorities committee as a top 6 priority, and then it still made the top 15 list of priorities by the full delegates before the delegates narrowed the list down to the top 8. For those of you who are not familiar with it means for equal parenting to make the top list of 15 issues, it means the Republican party of Texas made a list of issues the delegates believe are the most important issues to get passed at the next legislative session. The delegates then voted on the top eight priorities and equal parenting might not have made the top eight list of other very important pressing issues, but it was finalized as a top 15 which out of hundreds of platform issues, so being in the top 15 is huge. This is a massive win and a huge boost to equal parenting. This shows Republican Legislators that Equal Parenting is not only an important issue, but it has overwhelming support of voters. Equal Parenting is now a part of the core beliefs platform of the Texas GOP and a top issue for GOP voters.

Texas HB 803 Equal Parenting Bill is the bill that matches this new Equal Parenting Texas GOP Platform Plank. Republican Texas Representatives should vote for the bill to help kids and society, and so to not turn their back on the 8000 Texas GOP Delegates who made Equal Parenting a Republican Core Value.

Children deserve to have both a mother and father in their lives when both parents are fit willing and able. Under Equal Parenting, a court can certainly determine if one parent is abusive or not fit and under equal parenting the court can and will still not allow an abuser to have equal custody, but when the court does determine both parents are fit and both parents are willing and able to be involved equally in their child’s lives then both parents should get equal custody for the sake of the child who needs both parents. Equal Parenting does not take away discretion of a judge, it just gives them another checkbox and another tool in their toolbox. It creates the starting point as equal possession for fit parents and a judge can go down from there, instead of starting of unequal custody and parents fighting to go up from there. Equal parenting means that the new standard possession order, the new starting point, will be equal possession and access. That will be the new starting point with two good parents. The new starting point will no longer be one parent only gets four days a month. That old outdated system causes parents to fight and bicker and drag their kid to court and destroy the children’s lives as they fight over who gets more time with the child. By changing the standard possession order to have a starting point of equal parenting, millions of children who are hurting and committing suicide and committing crimes because of broken families will be helped Because there will be less fighting and less court battles and less parental alienation because both parents won’t have an option to keep fighting for no reason if both parents are fit, they will just have to do what’s best for the children and let the child see both parents equally as long as both parents are fit willing and able.

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Breaking News: Senator Bryan Hughes to File Texas Heartbeat Bill SB 8 Next Week

Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes is making a major move next week. It is expected that as early as Tuesday 3/9/2021, he will file SB 8 Heartbeat Bill which, if passed, would restrict abortion and protect unborn babies after a heartbeat is detected.

This bill comes at a time when the United States Supreme Court is more likely than ever to uphold the bill if challenged in court, thanks to the new additions to the Supreme Court by former President Donald Trump. It is important that, under this bill, the prohibition on abortion would be after a heartbeat is detected. The unique heartbeat is a universal sign of individual life. I recall during a constitutional law class at Texas A&M University, one of the reasons for the Supreme Court originally upholding the right to abortion was because it was not clear from science, nor determined by society, when life begins or is viable. This opened the door, I believe, to allowing the Supreme Court to restrict abortion in the future as science and society formulates when life begins or is viable.

With modern advances in medical science, we can now easily determine when an unborn baby has a unique heartbeat, which is a universal sign of individual life. With the understanding and establishment by the State of Texas that a unique viable life can be established with the presence of a heartbeat, the State of Texas can then extend constitutional rights and protections to that unique individual life by restricting the unnecessary destruction of that life.

The following is a one pager with information directly from the office of Senator Bryan Hughes which gives a summary of the bill and the implications of the bill:

SB 8 – Heartbeat Bill

Office of Senator Bryan Hughes

Issue: Prohibiting an abortion after a heartbeat is present.

Contact: Caitriana Corkill (3-0380)

Background:

The fetal heartbeat is a key medical predictor of whether an unborn child will reach live birth. A fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks. Current Texas law generally bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

This bill would prevent abortions from being performed or induced once a fetal heartbeat is detected unless there is a medical emergency as defined under Health and Safety Code Section 171.002(3).

Bill Summary:

The proposed legislation amends the Health and Safety Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Government Code, and the Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

The bill establishes that the State of Texas never repealed, either expressly or impliedly, the state statutes enacted before Roe v. Wade which prohibit abortion unless the mother’s life is in danger.

The bill mandates that the physician determine whether there is a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, the physician is prohibited from knowingly performing or inducing an abortion.

Enforcement Mechanisms:

-          a criminal offense for violation of the above;

-          civil liability for violation of the above;

-          a criminal offense for aiding and abetting an abortion;

-          civil liability for aiding and abetting an abortion;

-          administrative penalties for the physician; and

-          a wrongful death action available to the mother and father.

Private civil enforcement is available once the bill becomes effective. All public enforcement will become available once Roe or Casey is overturned.

Finally, the bill sets out what must be noted in the pregnant woman’s medical record. This includes formatting and notes on why the abortion was performed or induced. If a physician performs or induces an abortion under the medical emergency exception, the reason for the abortion must be noted in the pregnant woman’s medical records.

#SaveOurChildren - Support HB 803 Texas Equal Parenting Bill

The Equal Parenting bill will lower conflict and help women more easily get equal parenting without having to spend thousands of dollars in court fights. However, there is no denying that one of the greatest issues with unequal parenting under current law is that it has created a nation without fathers. The Stats and Facts of the negative effects of fatherlessness is shocking and heart wrenching and we MUST help our kids NOW!

Kids Need Both and Mother and a Father in their lives EQUALLY. The Facts show that Kids and Hurting and Dying due to Unequal Parenting and Fatherlessness

  • 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.
  • 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.
  • 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average.  (Center for Disease Control)
  • 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average.  (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)
  • 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average.  (National Principals Association Report)

-          Father Factor in Drug and Alcohol Abuse – Researchers at Columbia University found that children living in two-parent household with a poor relationship with their father are 68% more likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs compared to all teens in two-parent households.

-          70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average.  (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)

-          85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average.  (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)

-          Father Factor in Incarceration – Even after controlling for income, youths in father-absent households still had significantly higher odds of incarceration than those in mother-father families. Youths who never had a father in the household experienced the highest odds. A 2002 Department of Justice survey of 7,000 inmates revealed that 39% of jail inmates lived in mother-only households.

-          Father Factor in Crime – A study of 109 juvenile offenders indicated that family structure significantly predicts delinquency. Adolescents, particularly boys, in single-parent families were at higher risk of status, property and person delinquencies. Moreover, students attending schools with a high proportion of children of single parents are also at risk. A study of 13,986 women in prison showed that more than half grew up without their father. Forty-two percent grew up in a single-mother household and sixteen percent lived with neither parent

-          Father Factor in Child Abuse – Compared to living with both parents, living in a single-parent home doubles the risk that a child will suffer physical, emotional, or educational neglect. The overall rate of child abuse and neglect in single-parent households is 27.3 children per 1,000, whereas the rate of overall maltreatment in two-parent households is 15.5 per 1,000.

-          Daughters of single parents without a Father involved are 53% more likely to marry as teenagers, 711% more likely to have children as teenagers, 164% more likely to have a pre-marital birth and 92% more likely to get divorced themselves.

TX Expert Dr. Osborne, and AZ Expert Dr. Fabricius say Equal Parenting is Best for Kids!

Texas House Bill 803 Equal Parenting bill is vital for the health and well being of children. Texas should pass HB 803 because kids need both parents equally involved as long as both parents are fit, willing, and able!

Dr. Cynthia Osborne at is the expert for the State of Texas on children and family research

Dr. William Fabricius is a national expert on child development

Dr. Osborne with the Child and Family Research Partnership at University of Texas was paid over 1 million dollars by the Texas Attorney General Office as the state expert to extensively research Children and Family. The graph on the top left from Dr. Osborne shows that kids with fathers that are involved have exponentially better health, better education, less likely to go to jail, more likely to go to college, better overall life outlooks. Dr. Fabricius w/ Arizona State University has done some of the most extensive research in the world on child development and custody possession and access. The graph on the bottom left from Dr. Fabricius shows that young adults are more emotionally stable if they spent at least EQUAL time with their father, and the equal father time even created better mother children relationships.