Protecting Parental Rights from Government Overreach

Amid the federal government’s increased intrusion into Americans’ pocketbooks, doctors’ offices, and classrooms, the right of parents to determine their children’s upbringing is slowly being eroded.

To protect Missouri families from such infringement, I support House Joint Resolution 56, sponsored by Representative Todd Richardson (R – Poplar Bluff). HJR 56 proposes a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would specify that parents have exclusive control over the care and upbringing of their minor children. This authority would extend to decisions about the child’s education, healthcare, discipline, and religious instruction. By enshrining parents’ natural rights in the Missouri Constitution, we guarantee that they cannot be altered or diminished without a vote of the people.

The constitutional amendment would also reaffirm parents’ choice to send their children to a public or private school or to instruct them in the home and would forbid state entities from forcing private schools or homeschooling families to teach topics that conflict with their religious beliefs.

HJR 56 goes to great lengths to protect the health and safety of children in Missouri by stipulating that parents can lose these rights if they endanger or mistreat their children. The resolution would not diminish law enforcement’s ability to protect the life, health, or safety of a child.

This legislation passed out of the General Laws committee by a vote of 10 to 2 and is now on the House Joint Resolutions for Perfection calendar, meaning the legislation will be debated on the House floor and members will be able to offer amendments.

While law enforcement officials must always be able to intervene to protect a child’s safety, no government entity is more capable of raising a child than loving and dedicated parents, and their fundamental right to raise their children must be vigilantly protected.