Senate Leader Pulls Anti-Child Bill in Face of Huge Opposition

MND Newswire ^ | 8/17/04 | Pat Cangelosi

[PercivalWalks]

In the face of enormous opposition, California Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) has decided to withdraw a bill which would have granted custodial parents an almost unlimited right to move children far way from their noncustodial parents. The bill, SB 730, would have abrogated the California Supreme Court's recent LaMusga move-away decision. In that decision, the Court affirmed custodial parents' presumptive right to move but ruled that courts have the power to restrain moves which run counter to children's best interests.

Opposition to the bill and unrestricted move-aways was led by the Alliance for Children Concerned About Move-Aways, an advocacy group which has been endorsed by over 50 mental health and family law professionals.

Popular outrage--including over 2,000 calls, letters and faxes to Sacramento as well as wide media coverage--was generated by radio talk show hosts Glenn Sacks and Dr. Laura Schlesinger. Sacks, who launched the campaign against SB 730 on his July 11 broadcast, said:

"Everybody told us that, given the political landscape in Sacramento today, we couldn't win. I guess everybody was wrong. The proponents of this anti-child legislation portray those who value the bonds between children and their noncustodial parents as fringe elements with little support. But could their groups generate over 2,000 calls and letters? I doubt it. They're not the mainstream, we're the mainstream."

Numerous organizations of family law professionals also opposed SB 730, including the California Judge's Association; the State Bar of California Family Law Section; the Los Angeles County Bar Family Law Section; the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists; the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, California Chapter; and the Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Southern California Chapter.

SB 730 was also opposed by many mental health professionals. In a letter urging opposition to SB 730, psychologists Richard A. Warshak, Ph.D. and Sanford L. Braver, Ph.D. noted "the very few mental health professionals who advocate on behalf of unrestricted moveaways constitute a radical fringe and do not represent the knowledge and opinions of mainstream social scientists."

The fact that the bill was a last minute, "gut and amend" measure also drew criticism. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week issued a statement condemning such bills and expressing his aversion to signing them.

One unusual element of ACCAMA's campaign was the way the group captured so much media attention. Sacks noted:

"Usually our side loses the battle in the media, which precipitates a defeat in the legislature. This time was clearly different. The Alliance for Children Concerned About Move-Aways garnered a ton of press attention, most of it quite favorable."

ABC Executive Producer John Eisendrath, whose children were victims of a move-away, was quoted extensively in major papers, including the Los Angeles Times, the Sacramento Bee, and the Los Angeles Daily News. Eisendrath and Sacks made numerous radio appearances, and Schlessinger, who has a weekly audience of 12 million and is heard on 300 stations, made the campaign a "Dr. Laura Call to Action."

[jocon307]

"ABC Executive Producer John Eisendrath, whose children were victims of a move-away, was quoted extensively in major papers,...

wow, an ABC Exec, Dr. Laura, all those Judges,Lawyers and Shrinks, this bill certainly had bi-partisan (or should I say non-partisan) opposition.