Arizona Daily Independent
The Arizona House on Tuesday passed HB2088, a bill which requires schools to obtain informed consent from parents before their children are made to participate in intrusive surveys and assessments. The bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Finchem was requested by parents across the state.
“I am pleased to see that a majority of members of the House of Representatives agreed on two fundamental theories rooted in the very foundation of our system of government. Parental authority must be respected by government. HB 2088 acknowledges parental authority, which is not a permission granted by government. Parental authority is not an enumerated power given up to government by the people. The language in HB 2088 asserts the right that the Arizona Attorney General has claimed is trumped by federal law, which the federal courts have already said isn’t true in multiple decisions,” stated Finchem after the bill’s passage.
“As a parent reading about this newly passed legislation, I initially couldn’t help but feel irritated about having to fill out more forms from the school. I mean who cares really if my kids are required by the school to answer survey questions? But after thinking about it more carefully, the issue is more important than just that.
“This is really about parental authority. People’s fundamental rights are not robbed in broad daylight. They are not hijacked overnight. They are eroded slowly over time by wolfs dressed in sheep’s clothing. This slow deterioration is often referred to as a ‘slippery slope,’ as they say.
“I’m a strong believer in the rights of parents to make decisions on behalf of their children unless such decisions place the children in harm’s way. Now it is about surveys. But tomorrow it might be about things that truly impact a parent’s ability to exercise authority over their children.”
~Kaine Fisher
