SB 314 – Parental Liberty bill
We are pleased to report that SB 314 has been given a hearing date in the Senate Judiciary Committee next Tuesday, April 9th at 8:00 a.m. Members of ParentalRights.org/NEVADA will be present at the hearing to testify in favor of the bill along with HSLDA Attorney Scott Woodruff. Mr. Woodruff ushered similar language through the Virginia Legislature this past February and will provide expert testimony on SB 314.

We received an overwhelmingly positive response from concerned citizens in Nevada on the Legislative Opinion page. In less than 24 hours the bill moved on to the “TOP 50” list of bills and at last check was at #23! WE KNOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE TO NEVADA PARENTS… thanks for participating in the process but now there is more to do.

CALL TO ACTION:
1. Please call, email or fax members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and ask them to VOTE YES on SB 314. In your own words explain that, “SB 314 is a non-partisan bill, intended for the courts, and defines the right of parents to raise their children as a fundamental right. If passed, the law will protect the parent-child bond from intrusion by the state unless there is a compelling reason for the government to do so.” For a thorough explanation on the bill please refer to the Question & Answer pamphlet, The Right of Parents to Raise Their Child.

2. Plan to attend the hearing on Tuesday, April 9th at 8:00 a.m. The hour is early but we need to “pack the house” on this one in Carson City AND Las Vegas.
Room 2149, Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV.
Room 4412, Grant Sawyer State Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., Las Vegas, NV.
There is opposition to the bill. Families in attendance would show just how important the bill is to Nevada citizens.

Senate Judiciary Committee Contact Information
Senator Tick Segerblom, Chair 775-684-1422 tsegerblom@sen.state.nv.us
Senator Ruben Kihuen, Vice-Chair 775-684-1427 Ruben.Kihuen@sen.state.nv.us
Senator Aaron Ford 775-684-6502 Aaron.Ford@sen.state.nv.us
Senator Justin Jones 775-684-1421 Justin.Jones@sen.state.nv.us
Senator Greg Brower 775-684-1419 Greg.Brower@sen.state.nv.us
Senator Scott Hammond 775-684-1442 Scott.Hammond@sen.state.nv.us
Senator Mark Hutchinson 775-684-1475 Mark.Hutchison@sen.state.nv.us

To contact Senators by FAX or U.S. Mail:
By Fax: 1-775-684-6522
1-866-543-9941 Toll Free
By Mail: Nevada Legislature, Senate Judiciary Committee
401 Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701-4747

Background
In the event parents have to go to court to seek protection of their rights against government intrusion, courts first must decide whether the right is fundamental. If the judge decides the right is not fundamental, then the judge will allow the government to infringe on the right as long as it has a “rational” reason. But if the judge decides the right is fundamental, the government may infringe on the fundamental right only when there is a “compelling” reason to do so, showing there is no other way for the government to meet the very high standard.

As of today, there is nothing in Nevada statutes or the state constitution enunciating that parental rights are in the category of fundamental rights. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that parental rights are fundamental. However, some lower courts and local government officials have resisted compliance with U.S. Supreme Court rulings on this issue. Although Nevada courts have generally been good in recognizing parental rights, it is risky to depend on future court decisions to safeguard a fundamental parental right. This is the problem SB 314 will solve; it will simply give much better protection to parental rights than currently exists in Nevada law.

Opponents of a parental rights law often incorrectly assume that it would give parents a right to abuse their children. This is incorrect. Parents don’t have a right to abuse or neglect their children under Nevada statute, and that will not change if SB 314 becomes law. Rather, this law will simply provide an additional layer of protection afforded through legislative enactment to safeguard parents and children from intrusion by the government into the decision making process within the family unit.
Thank you for standing with us in championing the cause of parental rights in Nevada!
Sincerely,

Frank Schnorbus
ParentalRights.org/NEVADA Legislative Liaison