Washington lawmakers debate changes to parents rights initiative

SPOKANE, Wash. — Lawmakers in Olympia are considering changes to the parents rights initiative.

The Washington State House passed a bill in the early morning hours on March 13, following a more than six-hour-long debate, getting rid of certain guidelines in the parents rights initiative, also known as Initiative 2081.

This initiative, known as the Parents Bill of Rights, outlines 15 specific rights for parents in their child’s education. Those include transparency in curriculum, mental health services the child is receiving at school, and academic records.

Now, democrats are pushing to make revisions to this bill. The first is through Senate Bill 5181, which is focused on amending the initiative to align with current state and federal law. It passed the state senate on February 5.

State house representatives debated a different piece of legislation, House Bill 1296, earlier this week. It proposes more rights to students and school employees.

Supporters of Initiative 2081 are fired up by these changes, fearing it will take away parental control.

“What the parents bill of rights does is it creates clarity, not confusion,” said Rep. Jim Walsh (R).

However, others feel this is what is needed to ensure the wellbeing of students in Washington.

“Tonight this is about our heart,” said Rep. Sharon Wylie (D). “We need to do what is right for our kids.”

HB 1296, the legislation in question, reverses several parts of the parents rights initiative and instead establishes more student rights, such as a requirement for a student rights statement, and adoption of policies that support gender diverse students.

“I don’t agree with taking the parents out of it,” said Brian Heywood, the founder of Let’s Go Washington and sponsor of the parents rights initiative.

Heywood has already introduced an initiative to repeal SB 5181, and is in the process of proposing another one that would repeal HB 1296.

“Professional trained psychologist mantle has been given to school teachers. They’re not trained and they’re not skilled to do this and they are not the parent,” Heywood argues.

For him, Initiative 2081 gives parents the rights they deserve. Others are concerned about the current impact it has on students.

“Not everyone is safe in their own home, and sometimes giving parents access to all this information creates spaces where children are not going to view the school as a safe place to come forward in cases of abuse or neglect,” said Robin Pickering, a professor of public health at Gonzaga University.

Pickering believes the changes this legislation implements are a move in the right direction, but hopes more is done to reinstate trust in those who work in the education space.

“We need to move back to a space of, of trust in expertise and spend our energy, in supporting the higher education and the training of teachers and the training of medical providers and give them space to do their jobs. “

Each chamber will now review the other’s bill. If approved, it will go to Governor Ferguson’s desk to be signed into law.