REDMOND, WA – This week, Let’s Go Washington (LGW) introduced an initiative to repeal ESSB-5181 which would effectively undo the protections of parent’s voices in schools. The initiative was introduced in response to the egregious policies the Democrats have introduced in the legislature to isolate children from their parents. Olympia Democrats seem to believe that parents “have no rights” when it comes to knowing about what is going on with their children. Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen (Seattle-D) has repeatedly stated that parents have no right to notification or consent.
Democrats are showing their true colors by reviving a bill, much worse than ESSB-5181, that was idling in committee. HB-1296has all the same dangerous provisions as SB-5181 like allowing government employees and students to keep secrets from parents, but it also gives schools the authority to begin medical and chemical transitions of students without notifying an adult. Democrats even rejected an amendment to HB-1296 requiring schools to immediately tell parents even in extreme cases such as when their child has been sexually assaulted by a school employee.
“We introduced our latest initiative to let Olympia know that we aren’t just going to sit silently while they strip the rights that millions of Washingtonians asked for last year. Now, it turns out that Democrats want parents to pay for medical tests, treatments, and procedures for their minor children but they are not privy to information about what procedures or tests are given or what the results are,” said Brian Heywood, founder of Let’s Go Washington. “What’s more, parents are to be excluded from having authority to participate in the decision or permission process between students and government employees. All this legislature cares about is keeping parents in the dark and having their way with our kids. This is too far.”
Both bills would block parents from suing when their rights are violated, keep them in the dark about their child’s medical information, and strip voters of the ability to challenge it. A landmark number of Washingtonians signed on to support I-2081, the initiative that established parent’s rights, and a bipartisan legislature made it law last June.
Let’s Go Washington expected that Democrats would play political games with the bill numbers and content trying to strip parent’s rights. Their pathetic stunts and attempts at big brother parenting won’t be enough to overcome the will of the people. Washingtonians fought for parent’s rights and won and they’ll do it again.