States Passing Good Laws
These states are doing a good job protecting children and parental rights, as well as life.
Idaho Bans Preferred Pronouns; Protects Parents
On July 1, 2024, Idaho House Bill 538 goes into effect, signed by Idaho Governor Brad Little. Full Bill Text here: H0538
Under this law, government employees shall not be forced to use preferred pronouns, and shall not be subject to adverse employment action” if they decline to address an individual using a name other than the individual’s legal name, or if they decline to address them by their preferred title or pronoun that is inconsistent with their biological sex.
Teachers Prevented From “Knowingly and Intentionally” Addressing Minor By Name/Sex Assigned at Birth Without Parents’ Written Consent
Teachers and other public school employees, regardless of the scope of their duties, shall not “knowingly and intentionally” address a minor by a name or pronoun that does not align with their sex assigned at birth without “written consent from their parents or guardian.”
No Compelled Speech
The Idaho Bill states:
“No person in the State of Idaho is compelled by any governmental entity in the State of Idaho to communicate statements that such citizen believes to be false”.
As well as:
“No person should be subjected to any coercion by any governmental entity in the State of Idaho to communicate in any way statements that such person prefers not to communicate. To permit a governmental entity of the State of Idaho to compel speech in such a way would deprive persons within this state of their fundamental right to be free from coerced speech,”
Louisiana and Ten Commandments
Louisiana House Bill 71 would put the Ten Commandments on display at every school that receives state funds.
Read the Bill Text: Louisiana House Bill 71 Ten Commandments
The bill specifies that the text must be presented at the main focal point of a poster or framed document measuring at least 11 inches by 14 inches and printed in a “large and easily readable font.”
Says author Dodie Horton, Louisiana House Rep:
“Just one more vote until it heads to the Governor’s desk for signature. With his signature, Louisiana will be the first state in the nation to allow the Ten Commandments back into the classrooms, where they hung peacefully for nearly 3 decades prior to the 1970s.”
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To prepare to defend against a Establishment Clause violation challenge, Rep Horton has highlighted the Ten Commandments display’s historical signficance.
She said”
“The Ten Commandments are the basis of all laws in Louisiana,”
“It doesn’t preach a certain religion, but it definitely shows what a moral code that we all should live by is,” she added.
Tennessee Codifies Parental Rights
Tennessee codifed parents’ fundamental rights under the Constitutional, that is, the right to the care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of the child.
The Family Rights and Responsibilities Act (Senate Bill 2749) was signed by Governor Bill Lee, and takes effect July 1, 2024. Read the bill text: Tennessee-2023-SB2749-Draft
The bill grants parents the authority to “direct the education of the child, including the right to choose public, private, religious, or home schools, and the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for the education of the child.”
Parents can also “inspect and review the child’s educational records maintained by a school” and “have the child excused from school attendance for religious purposes.”
Tennessee Also Passes Bill Criminalizing Adults Who Help Minors Get Gender Transition Procedures
Under SB 2782, any adult found recruiting, harboring, or transporting “an unemancipated minor” in Tennessee for the purpose of receiving a prohibited medical procedure related to gender transition would face criminal charges.
Such procedures are defined as those “enabling the minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent” with their sex “or treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity,” regardless of where the procedure is carried out.
Violations would constitute a Class C felony, carrying penalties of three to 15 years imprisonment and fines of up to $10,000. The measure also permits civil action against those found to be in breach of the legislation.
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