Leave fit parents alone

Remember the days when the Legislature left fit parents alone? Remember the days when the Legislature didn’t draft bills that made fit parents accountable to the courts? Well, those days are gone.

This year, House Bill 1934 (a substitute bill for House Bill 1506) has been introduced. It would allow unrelated third parties to petition for visitation with children over the objection of fit parents. Both bills assume that the parent is fit but still give legal rights to unrelated third parties. The U.S. Supreme Court has long held that fit parents have a fundamental right to control the care, custody and control of their child.

The highest court in the land trusts parents, so why doesn’t Olympia? Both bills would allow a court to overrule the decision of a fit parent to deny an unrelated third party access to their child. Fit parents make decisions every day to protect their children. Why is Olympia making it harder for parents to protect their children?

Please call your representative (1-800-562-6000) and ask them to protect parents’ rights and let parents protect their children.

Hilary Snodgrass

Spokane