Dupage Policy Journal

State Senate candidate for Illinois' 21st District Kathleen Murray vows to support a Parents' Bill of Rights.

In a press release, Murray underscored that parents should be respected when it comes to deciding for their kids.

"Parents, not the government, have the authority and responsibility to raise their minor children according to their values, to determine the appropriate time to introduce sex-related topics, to make decisions for the physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of their child and to manage the transition from childhood to adulthood," Murray said. "Upon election to the Illinois Senate, I will sponsor a Parents Bill of Rights, consistent with the long traditions of the United States.”

In an op-ed for the DuPage Policy Journal, Murray, touts her proposed Parental Bill of Rights, while also warning voters about the proposed Amendment 1. She says that should this amendment pass, unions would have power in their contracts, granted by the State Constitution, to conflict any element of the Parental Bill of Rights or any other law. She says, "Union contracts would carry the weight of the State Constitution." She said the amendment gives unions everything they want; they would override any law they want and basically creates a fourth branch of government in Illinois. 

Murray claims that under the amendment, teachers unions would be able to ban "non-employees" from school grounds, which would kick parents out of schools, and they could shut down schools and shorten the length of the school year, among many other powers. 

Murray says this amendment is an attack on American liberty and the public needs to be aware of the dire consequences of this measure passing.

Similar legislation to Murray's proposed Parents' Bill of Rights has been passed around the country. In March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education bill into law. The bill bans "classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through 3rd grade" and "instruction that is not age appropriate for students." The law also requires schools to "adopt procedures for notifying parents if there is a change in services from the school regarding a child’s mental, emotional or physical health or well-being." This law builds on the Parents' Bill of Rights, which DeSantis signed into law last year. He said that "Parents’ rights have been increasingly under assault around the nation, but in Florida we stand up for the rights of parents and the fundamental role they play in the education of their children." 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has made parental rights a cornerstone of his reelection bid this year, and he has promised to solidify parental rights into the Texas Constitution: "Parents will be restored to their rightful place as the preeminent decision-maker for their children," The Texas Tribune reported. Political observers say that parental rights are already enshrined in Texas law and that this move would please a constituent base more than it would have tangible effects.