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California bill would ban schools from telling parents if student identifies as LGBTQ: 'Gut-and-amend'
California lawmakers are introducing a new bill that would ban school districts from notifying parents if their child identifies as LGBTQ.
The new bill will be added to Assembly Bill 1955 — introduced by Assemblymember Chris Ward, D-San Diego, earlier this year — through a process called “gut-and-amend.”
Under the amended bill, called the “Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth,” or SAFETY ACT, school districts would be banned from, what Ward described as, “forced outing policies.”
In other words, educators could not notify parents about their students’ gender identity or sexual orientation if that were to come up at school.
Assemblymember Christopher Ward, far right, introduced a “gut-and-amend” bill to AB 1955. (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
The move comes in response to multiple California school boards having voted to pass measures that require teachers to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender, changes their name or pronouns, or requests to access a restroom, changing room, or sport geared to the opposite sex.
The new bill would codify existing state protections against what has been described as “forced outings” of LGBTQ students and would provide resources for families of LGBTQ students. The measure would also protect educators from retaliation if they do not notify parents.
Opponents of the bill say it keeps parents in the dark.
“No matter how much Democrats dislike it, the fact is parents have a right to be involved in their kids’ education,” said California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher in a statement to Fox News Digital. “It’s unbelievable that anyone would think that teachers can keep secrets from parents, but it’s flat-out disgusting that Democrats are trying to mandate that schools keep parents in the dark.”
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In a letter to Ward, the California Policy Center called the bill “unconstitutional” and argued that it “violates parents’ established authority over their children and would constitute … a trifecta of harms.”
A view of the California state capitol building in Sacramento. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for National Urban League)
“Here’s the bottom line: Public schools are meant to support parents in their efforts to educate their children, not to subvert parents as this bill would codify,” wrote CPC Vice President of Education Policy and Government Affairs.
“There are so many problems with this bill that a simple opposition letter cannot cover every one of them. It’s hard for skeptics to see this gut-and-amend as anything but an effort to hide those problems from public scrutiny, let alone adequate constitutional review.”
Ward has countered that nothing in the SAFETY Act “prohibits parents from talking to their children about anything, including sexual orientation or gender identity.”
“In fact, as a parent myself, I believe parents should have an open dialogue with their children, and these conversations should be happening at home,” Ward said, adding that a student’s decision to come out is a “personal one” that should happen on their own terms.
Opponents of the bill say it will keep parents of students in the dark. (iStock)
Proponents of the measure say that while many parents are supportive of their children, many young people come from homes where they do not feel accepted.
The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus has argued that schools can be a “critical source of support,” and pointed to studies like the Trevor Project’s 2019 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, which found that “affirming school environments significantly reduce the odds of transgender youth attempting suicide.”
“Parental involvement in their children’s lives is desirable and often necessary, however, a student’s gender identity is generally a matter to be discussed between the child and their parents in the time and manner chosen by the family,” the LGBTQ Caucus said in a joint statement. “No teacher, administrator, or others outside of the family should be forcing families to have conversations.”
The SAFETY Act will be heard by the Senate Education Committee next week.
If approved by the Senate, it will return to the Assembly for additional consideration before it goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
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MISSOULA, Mont. — Amid recent flooding and ahead of wildfire season, Montana State Auditor James Brown is urging homeowners to make sure their homes are properly insured.
Brown said flooding is the leading cause of insurance peril in the nation and can happen year-round in Montana.
He said homeowners should not wait until flooding is imminent to seek coverage because there is typically a 30-day waiting period before flood insurance takes effect.
“Number one, by far the number one source of confusion related to flood insurance is the basic homeowners policy doesn’t cover flood damage, most Montanans may not know that,” said Brown.
Brown said some private flood insurance options exist, but the National Flood Insurance Program remains the main way Montanans can get covered.
He also said wildfire coverage is becoming less common in standard homeowners insurance policies and increasingly expensive.
Brown encouraged homeowners to be careful when shopping for the lowest-cost policy, because cheaper plans may offer less coverage or come with higher deductibles.
“That may not be enough to cover the loss if their house were to burn down, so one of the things we encourage as well is to talk to your agent about what the level of coverage that you have for your home to make sure that it’s fully insured so if you do have a fire or flood or some sort of peril, you’re able to replace your home,” said Brown.
Lower-cost policies may leave homeowners responsible for the first several thousand dollars in losses before insurance coverage begins.
Brown said homeowners should speak with their insurance agents to make sure their policies covers damages if a disaster occurs.
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, one chapter of American history was written in the Nevada desert, where the Nevada Test Site became the center of the country’s nuclear testing program during the Cold War.
The National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas preserves that history, telling the story of what happened at the site roughly 65 miles northwest of the city.
From Truman’s order to 928 nuclear tests
President Truman established the Nevada Test Site in 1950. It was formally activated in 1951 at the height of the Cold War and ultimately served as the location for 928 nuclear weapons tests.
Scott Wade, chairman of the board of trustees for the National Atomic Testing Museum, said the program emerged from unanswered questions following the Manhattan Project.
“After the atomic bomb was developed by the Manhattan Project and the two weapons were used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there were still questions about how to safely utilize them — even as a weapon of war, this was emerging technology, something that had never been done before,” Wade said.
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A family legacy tied to the site
Wade’s connection to the site is personal. His father began working there in 1958 and eventually rose through the Atomic Energy Commission, retiring as the Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs in charge of the nation’s nuclear weapons program.
In the 1990s, Wade’s family, along with six other families of former employees, worked with state and federal partners to establish the Atomic Testing Museum.
“There are a lot of feelings about nuclear weapons, and that’s actually the wonder and beauty of a museum,” Wade said.
Impact beyond weapons testing
Supporters of the program argue its influence extended well beyond military strategy. Wade said the testing program advanced scientific research with applications that reach into medicine today.
“I don’t think as a nation, maybe as a world, we would be anywhere near as far as we are with nuclear material separation even for medical uses,” Wade said.
Supporters also argue the program’s greatest impact was helping deter a global nuclear conflict during the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
Nevada’s role continues today
The Nevada Test Site is now known as the Nevada National Security Site and continues to operate. Wade said Nevada’s role in nuclear security remains active.
“Right now, nuclear weapons are still a very big topic. So we’re saying it’s history, but really, Nevada is still playing a very critical role in our everyday lives,” Wade said. “Everything still contributes to making sure that the weapons that are within the stockpile are safe and secure. And because you can’t do an underground nuclear weapons test, you do it with pieces and parts so you understand those pieces and parts.”
The Nevada National Security Site continues to play a role in maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile.
The National Atomic Testing Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – License plate readers remain a controversial law enforcement tool. During this past legislative session, New Mexico lawmakers passed a bill that puts limits on how police use a controversial piece of technology.
The Driver Privacy and Safety Act implements safeguards on how the data collected by license plate readers is shared. It comes after instances where the technology was found to be used for non-law enforcement reasons, like people seeking abortions and immigration enforcement.
The lawmakers behind the bill said they want to ensure private information remains private. Santa Fe Police Interim Chief Ben Valdez says they are already restricted from sharing data collected from license plate readers, but he says it’s still important to have the law on the books.
“As a state, I think it puts us on the same page, which I think is very helpful. The data is the property of the City of Santa Fe. So if there’s going to be any sharing of that data. It has to be given with the express permission of the City of Santa Fe. It can’t just be used for any purpose, including being sold to a third party,” said Interim Chief Ben Valdez, Santa Fe Police Department.
Chief Valdez also emphasized that the plate readers can only be used in public spaces. “So it’s on a street that is a public road. It may be in a shopping area where that’s again within the public purview. We’re not doing plate reads in private areas that people have an expectation of privacy,” said Chief Valdez.
There are some cases where the license plate reader data would be shared, including homicide investigations that cross state lines or kidnapping. “They’ve been able to find children that were taken either by a custodial parent or another person, or even missing persons where their plate read came back as a missing person,” said Chief Valdez.
Under the new law, agencies are also required to submit annual reports to the Department of Public Safety on how the tech is being used.
In all, 15 new laws went into effect on Wednesday, including shifting “aggravated battery on a peace officer inflicting great bodily harm” from a third-degree felony to second degree and creating an Office of Special Education in the Public Education Department.
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