Action Alert: Submit Public Comments to Support Reasonable Childhood Independence Bill
We’re excited to let you know that Senators Ben Hansen (R – District 16), Justin Wayne (D – District 13), and Terrell McKinney (D – District 11) have introduced L.B. 1000, a bill that protects innocent families from being caught up in child neglect investigations.
L.B. 1000 has been scheduled for a Judiciary Committee hearing on March 3, and we need your help. Please visit https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=46901 and click on the text box that says “Submit Comments Online for LB1000.” We encourage you to do this and share any stories you may have of personal issues you have had with reasonable parenting decisions being treated as neglect, reasonable parenting decisions you have been too scared to do based on a fear that someone would hotline you for neglect, or any other reason for why you support this bill.
For background, L.B. 1000 amends Nebraska law to clarify that a parent who allows his or her child to engage in “independent activities” will not be considered to have neglected the child, unless there is evidence of obvious danger that any reasonable parent would not – and should not — ignore. L.B. 1000 enjoys broad bipartisan support from advocacy groups across the political spectrum, including ParentalRights.org, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) (whose model bill Nebraska’s legislation mirrors), Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Nebraska Appleseed, 50Can, Let Grow, and several Nebraska-based child advocacy groups.
At a time when it seems that government is encroaching more and more on loving parents and their ability to care for and raise their children, L.B. 1000 protects the freedom of parents to let their children grow and thrive, freeing Nebraska’s Division of Children and Family Services to focus attention on children who are truly in danger of abuse or neglect.
You can see the letter of support that we sent to the sponsors of L.B. 1000 here.
Thank you for standing with us for parental rights and freedom.
Sincerely,
Will Estrada
President, ParentalRights.org