Opinion: ‘I am absolutely disgusted by lawmakers and educators who have been successful in reducing parental rights’

Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance voices concern over recent changes to parental rights legislation in Washington state and urges support for education alternatives.

Clark County Today Editor Ken Vance shares his views on the ‘Parental Bill of Rights Overhaul’

Ken Vance, editor
Clark County Today

I was blessed to be the parent of a child who attended private school here in Clark County. Many moons ago, my now 34-year-old son attended King’s Way Christian School through his elementary school years before attending public schools for his middle school and high school years. At that time, King’s Way had only a small enrollment of middle school students and the high school had not opened yet. Otherwise, my son would likely have never left King’s Way.

My son and I have had the conversation many times recently that if things back then were like they are now, he would have never set foot inside a public school classroom. Thankfully, parents in Clark County have many options for their student’s education because I just don’t see how anyone who shares my values would ever send their child to a public school. I appreciate that not every parent can afford private school for their child. That is why I am a proponent of providing school choice vouchers for parents.

Don’t be mistaken, this isn’t a column attacking Clark County-area public school districts, although I’m sure I could pen many columns on things I would like to see changed in public education at the local level; this opinion is focused on what is happening at the state level.

Parental “bill of rights” overhaul

The parental “bill of rights” overhaul was signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson earlier this week. It’s described as one of the most divisive bills approved during this year’s Washington state legislative session. In many ways, the legislation invalidates Initiative 2081, the citizen initiative lawmakers approved last year that granted certain rights to the parents of public school students under the age of 18. It allowed parents to easily access school materials, their child’s medical records, and promised immediate notification if a child is involved in a crime.

Democrats vowed to write a “clean-up bill” if the initiative clashed with other state and federal laws. However, Republicans said the law signed Monday does more than that. It undermines the initiative, which hundreds of thousands of voters signed on in support of in 2023. The law also contains an emergency clause, which will allow it to take effect immediately, and it eliminates the possibility of a referendum that would give voters a chance to have a voice in the implementation of the law.

Let’s Go Washington and other organizations, as well as individuals, are already working to address this travesty. Let’s pray they have success in their effort to do just that.

Who is protected and who is having their rights stolen?

The battle is seemingly over who needs more protection, vulnerable students or parents who are having their rights usurped by lawmakers and educators. Proponents such as Vancouver Rep. Monica Stonier, the author of House Bill 1296, say their legislation allows students to keep their private lives a little more private. Those proponents fear that some students will face abuse or intolerance at home if they’re private decisions, such as gender identity decisions, are revealed to their parents without their consent.

I am very sympathetic to children who are mistreated or abused. I realize there are bad parents in our community and children do need to be protected in those situations. We have agencies and law enforcement to do just that. But those situations are the exception not the rule. The answer is not to design a system where all parents are assumed to be incapable of providing the quality care and attention each child needs. Not all parents are monsters. Most of us are compassionate and have our child’s best interest at heart.

As I said, in some situations children need to be protected from bad parents. But more often, they need to be protected from themselves. There is a reason why you have to be 18 years of age to vote in our country. Children are not ready to make every decision for themselves, especially the critical decisions.

Minors also need to be protected from others who don’t have their best interest in mind. No educator should ever attempt to influence a child’s gender identity decision or even introduce it as an alternative. If a child develops questions about their identity organically, parents are the first one’s who should be involved in that discussion rather than being excluded from it.

I am absolutely disgusted by lawmakers and educators who have been successful in reducing parental rights. It is more than disheartening that they can override the will of the people, in this case those responsible for passing Initiative 2081. Any professional who provides counseling or gender-affirming care, treatment or surgery to a minor child without parental consent should be put in jail.

I am so thankful that my son is of the age where he is no longer susceptible to the influence and agenda of folks with this harmful ideology. And, I’m also thankful that parents in Clark County have other options for the education and care of their children.