California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill suppressing parental rights in California, though he signed several other bills.
By Eileen Griffin
California Republican state legislators celebrated one win, but several Democrat-sponsored bills restricting parental involvement in schools were enacted.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed SB 598, which would have the effect of restricting parental involvement and free speech, the California Globe reports.
California Senate Bill 596 would expand existing laws that prevent parents or others from disrupting school employees either on school grounds or off school property. It would allow any adult to be charged with a crime for disrupting school board meetings and would make it easier to impose penalties.
This bill would have attempted to restrict free speech and intimidate parents or others who “disrupt” any school board meeting, charter school meeting, state meeting, or any situation where school employees are involved.
The bill’s author, Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) states that his goal is to further protect teachers from fear and intimidation, but attorney and former San Diego City Attorney Jan Goldsmith says there are plenty of existing laws to protect educators.
“Clearly, SB 596 is not really about its stated purpose,” Goldsmith writes in an opinion for The San Diego Union Tribune. “Rather, it is written to shut parents down by creating a new overbroad and vague criminal law that puts fear in their minds. It deters parents from speaking up at school board meetings.”
Parents are likely to become emotionally involved when their children are concerned, Goldmith writes. Particularly if their children are not being treated properly.
“They know if they get too emotional, say the wrong thing or don’t follow the process they risk having to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees and possibly getting convicted of a crime.”
“The term ‘substantial disorder’ is nowhere defined in the legislation,” Goldsmith writes.
A vague definition would result in arbitrary enforcement. Parents who yell loudly express frustration could be charged with a crime.
In his veto message, Newsom suggested that current laws are sufficient, and this expansion of the law would have the effect of stifling free speech.
“This bill would make it a misdemeanor to cause substantial disorder at any meeting of the governing board of a school district, the governing body of a charter school, a county board of education, or the State Board of Education,” Newsom’s message reads.
“This bill also specifies that a person who subjects a school employee to threats or harassment while the employee is away from a school site or after school hours for reasons related to the employee’s course of duties would be guilty of a misdemeanor. Credible threats of violence and acts of harassment—whether directed against school officials, elected officials, or members of the general public—can already be prosecuted as crimes. As such, creating a new crime is unnecessary.”
Newsom said that education has become highly politicized in the country, “Nevertheless, we need to be cautious about exacerbating tensions by implementing additional laws that can be perceived as stifling parents’ voices in the decision-making process.”
Senate Bill 596, if passed, would have both silenced and criminalized parents, Daily Caller reported prior to the veto.
“Like so many education bills going through the Legislature right now, SB 596 ultimately hurts students,” Mari Barke, California Policy Center’s director of local elected officials told The Daily Caller. “The parents are being targeted but the damage is to the child or student.
“SB 596 is attempting to silence free speech and could be used against parents very arbitrarily if they question or vocalize concern or opposition to offensive or divisive curricula, content or behavior,” Barke said.
Poway Unified School District Community Watch focuses on parental rights. The organization’s president Lenice Sechrist told The Daily Caller that SB 596 was intended to restrict parental rights.
“If enacted, this bill will surely be used to set ‘examples’ out of parents who speak on issues that concern their children,” Sechrist said. “It appears the strategy is that if First Amendment rights cannot be infringed upon, fear tactics will be used in order to censor parents.”
The bill passed the State Assembly in a 65-8 vote and passed the State Senate in a 30-8 vote. If not for Newsom’s veto, SB 596 would easily have become the law of the land in California.
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