California Family Minute

by Ron Prentice,
Chief Executive Officer

Parents are not looking out for the best interests of their children, and citizens should not have so much freedom to affect change. 

Apparently that is what the California legislative majority believes, and it is taking steps to dismantle parental authority and limit voters’ voices.

Senate Bill 48, already signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown but facing opposition by a referendum, forces the inclusion of more “puff” content into the public education curriculum, by mandating that those with the alternative sexual orientations of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgenderism must be included as significant contributors to California’s history. Yes, this is forced indoctrination.

Another bill, Assembly Bill 499, sits on Governor Brown’s desk for veto or signing into law. This bill is only one of three gaining so much attention that an automated poll has been set up on Brown’s phone line to receive a “for” or “against” vote (916-445-2841).  Governor Brown has until October 9 to make his veto decisions, but may do so at any time up until then.  Your participation is urgent.

AB 499 would allow a child - boy or girl - as young as twelve years of age to receive medical treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, without informing the child’s parent or guardian. The underlying motivation for this bill is to vaccinate teens against the human papilloma virus, which can only be acquired through sexual activity. Well-meaning parents will disagree on whether to vaccinate or not; but they will agree that the decision should be left to them. 

Government apparently knows best. Never mind that parents nurture their children and provide care every hour of every day for them. Teenagers may behave as though they oppose every word that flows from the mouth of their parents, but in reality they long to know that their parents have expectations and boundaries. AB 499 legally disallows this from happening. It is a governmental power grab, at the expense of parental authority.

Yet another bill, Senate Bill 202, was introduced earlier this year as a legislative bill that would increase the cost to file a citizen’s initiative. However, just two weeks ago SB 202 was completely gutted and rewritten, then rushed through passage in committees and on the Senate and Assembly floors.

Now, SB 202 would disallow a people’s initiative from being placed on any ballot other than the November general elections in even years. You may ask, what is the benefit of that? Primary elections and specially called elections garner more support from conservatives than liberals. Liberal special-interest issues have a much better chance for success in November general elections and, conversely, initiatives that attempt to limit government power fare better - and cost less - in primary elections.

The timing of SB 202’s passage by the Legislature is not coincidental; labor unions and corporations (also known as campaign “investors”) will be facing a ballot initiative next year that could severely limit their political income (union dues) and influence. Signing SB 202 into law may keep the initiative off the ballot until November, would give more power to the Legislature, and would hinder the people’s initiative process.

To give your opinion to the Governor’s office, call 916-445-2841. Please redistribute this information as far and wide as possible.