Parental Rights in Minnesota

Minnesota Parental Rights News

Parents’ Efforts Around the Country Starting to Pay Off!

March 17, 2022

Across the nation, some state legislatures are starting to adjourn for the year. Others have reached cross-over day, where bills have to pass from one chamber to another or they’re dead for the year. Still other legislatures remain in full swing. All this year, ordinary moms and dads like you, with your energy and passion,…

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Minnesota State Law and Parental Rights

At Risk

Minnesota does not have a state statute that explicitly defines and protects parental rights as fundamental rights.

March 2018: Some Minnesota lawmakers introduced a bill (S.F. 3779) to try to address disproportionality in CPS (see this Parental Rights Foundation report for disproporitionality information by state).

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Minnesota Courts and Parental Rights

"Strict Scrutiny" Applied to Parental Rights

Soohoo v. Johnson, 731 N.W.2d 815, 821 (Minn. 2007): The MN Supreme Court held that even though "the Supreme Court in Troxel did not articulate the standard of review to be applied when reviewing third-party visitation statutes . . .Strict scrutiny is the appropriate standard of review when fundamental rights are at issue."

However, this precedent is subject to change.