It has been a warm winter so far, and Milwaukee Brewers players are reporting to camp starting today, February 15, 2024. It is the day the players in our quintessentially American Game start warming up their throwing arms and legs in the Arizona warmth. The Parent Rights Bill in Wisconsin is rounding third base sprinting hard, heading for home.
It all began not with a walk, or a weak single, but with a powerful double, last year when Representative Bob Wittke introduced Assembly Bill - AB510 and Senator Van Wanggaard introduced Senate Bill – SB489. Everything in baseball has a nickname, and so does this bill, it was dubbed the Parent’s Rights Bill.
There were committee hearings, I testified as an individual in the Senate Hearing, January 17, 2024 for the bill. And Convention of States Action strongly supports The Parents Rights Bill. It aligns with Convention of States Action cause, it is called “F3- Federalism, Freedom, and Fundamental Rights”. Convention of States Action says this bill is a valued member of our Team.
The bill passed on the floor of the Wisconsin State Senate Tuesday night, February 13, 2024, and it moved to third base. Next the bill goes to Governor Evers desk which is home plate. The Governor has 6 days to veto or sign the bill. If he does nothing it becomes law, and we score a big run.
Politically it is a home run. Parental Rights are our Constitutional Fundamental Rights
Governor Evers is expected to veto the Parent Rights Bill again. He vetoed a Parent Rights bill in 2021.
A veto allows schools to foist propaganda on our young impressionable children, at time when they are most vulnerable, without their parents’ knowledge. It will remove legal consequences if our schools are discovered doing this behind the parents’ back. They were and are hiding the curriculum from us. Which is exactly what happened before, during and after the “Covid Stay at Home” fiasco.
A Governor Evers veto emboldens our Public-School personnel to act as political activists. We need to insist that this is not their role. We do not pay taxes for our kids to be brain washed.
There are 16 Rights Reserved to Parents in AB510/SB489, it is not a comprehensive list, I encourage you to read the complete bill here.
I find it difficult to summarize rights. The 16 rights analyzed by the Legislative Reference Bureau are listed below. The bill appears to support common sense and decency. Governor Evers should not tag it out again.
1. The right to determine the religion of the child.
2. The right to determine the type of school or educational setting the child attends.
3. The right to be notified of each health care service, including vaccinations or immunizations offered at the school and the right to withhold consent.
4. The right to review all medical records related to the child, unless otherwise specified by law or court order.
5. The right to determine the names and pronouns used for the child while at school.
6. The right to review instructional materials and outlines used at the child’s school, to the extent required by law.
7. The right to access records regarding the education of the child.
8. The right to timely notice by the child's school of any surveys or evaluations conducted in the child's classroom that would reveal information concerning any of the following about the child or his or her parent or family members: political affiliations or beliefs; mental or psychological problems; sexual behavior or attitudes; illegal, antisocial, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior; critical appraisals of individuals with whom the child or parent has a close family relationship; relationships that are legally recognized as privileged, such as those with lawyers, physicians, and ministers; religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs; or income, unless otherwise specified by law.
9. The right to timely notice by the child's school, through a process consistent with school policy, of when a controversial subject will be taught or discussed in the child's classroom. The bill defines “controversial subject” as a subject of substantial public debate, disagreement, or disapproval and specifies that the term includes instruction about gender identity, sexual orientation, racial identity, structural, systemic, or institutional racism, or content that is not age appropriate.
10. The right to opt out of a class or instructional materials at the child's school for reasons based on either religion or personal conviction.
11. The right to visit the child at school during school hours, consistent with school policy, unless otherwise specified by law or court order.
12. The right to engage with locally elected school board members of the school district in which the child is a student in accordance with school district policy, including by participating at regularly scheduled school board meetings.
13. The right to be notified of the creation of or updates to a security or surveillance system at the child's school, not including routine maintenance.
14. The right to be informed by the child's school, in accordance with school policy, of any disciplinary action taken against the child. This includes suspension, expulsion, seclusion, physical restraint, or removal from class.
15. The right to be timely informed of any acts of violence or crimes occurring on grounds of the child's school.
16. The right to receive accurate and individual information from the child's school at least two times per year regarding the academic proficiency and classroom behavior of the child.
The bill also provides that a guardian has all of the rights listed in the bill, unless they are limited by law or court order.
The bill requires a school board to adopt a policy setting forth a process by which a parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in the school district may file a written complaint alleging that a right identified in the bill was violated. Under the bill, this policy must require the school board to hold a public hearing to address any such written complaints at least once every three months. The bill also requires that the process be timely, that it grant the school board the final decision, and that it allow a clear process to appeal that decision.
The bill also allows a parent or guardian who is denied one of the rights identified in the bill to bring a civil action against a governmental body or official. The bill allows a parent or guardian to raise a violation of these rights in court or before an administrative tribunal of appropriate jurisdiction as a claim or defense. Under the bill, a parent or guardian that successfully asserts such a claim may recover declaratory relief, injunctive relief, reasonable attorney's fees and costs, and up to $10,000 for any other appropriate relief.
The opposition say this bill is about singling out LGBTQ+ students and suppressing any controversial subject. The bill does not prescribe a one size fits-all approach - it simply allows parents to decide, for their own children, what is best for them in regard to any sex or gender issues.
Most importantly, too many of our schools in Wisconsin do not perform even to minimum standards. We need to insist our taxes pay for our schools to focus on the core skills of reading, writing, and math.
We need to insist that our schools act as trusted public servants serving all stake holders. Children, Parents, and Taxpayers. Not political activists.
Controversial issues are taking up learning time and diluting education, reducing the skills our kids desperately need to be productive in our economy and live an abundant life. Or is the mission to dumb down our children so they are dependent on the state?
We cannot allow our public schools to disrespect parents by hiding the curriculum. We must insist on 100% transparency. I urge you to respectfully call and/or write Governor Evers to support Parent Rights in Wisconsin.
Please contact Governor Evers by Friday Feb 16 to request that he sign the Parental Rights bills AB 510 and SB 489. You can contact Governor Evers via phone and/or web form as follows:
(608) 266-1212 (9am - 5pm)
Don’t let Governor Evers tag this bill out without a hard strong slide. Let him know his veto is noticed and it is a bum call.
You can also support the Convention of States organization. One of our missions in addition to reining in the federal government is to back state legislation relating to Federalism, Freedom, and Fundamental Rights. You can help us by visiting our website and signing our petition.
Convention of States Website COS WI Facebook COS WI X (Twitter)
Convention of State’s is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Convention of States Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization and does not support or endorse any party or candidate. COSA is focused on educating the public on specific issues.
