BISMARCK – The North Dakota State Senate passed two bills relating to parental consent Friday.
SB2260 would prohibit a government entity from substantially burdening the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their child.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Bob Paulson, R-Dis. 3, Minot, said during COVID parents were met with the threat of FBI investigations.
“Teachers who talked to me about their concerns either refused to put things into writing or only did so with assurances from me that I would not mention them by name,” said Paulson. “Fear of cancel culture exists in North Dakota. Of particular concern are policies that are being passed very recently that state school staff shall not disclose any information that may reveal a student’s transgender status to others, including parents.”
“After reading this bill I would have serious concerns about children in foster care, where custodial rights are limited because of serious neglect and abuse,” said Sen. Kathy Hogan, D-Dis. 21, Fargo. “Most parents have very clearly defined rights in these cases, but I think we could be having very serious unintended consequences by giving them additional rights.”
The bill passed by a vote of 40 to 6.
SB2231 would prohibit a government entity from requiring employees to use a person’s preferred pronoun. School districts and teachers would also be prohibited from adopting policies regarding expressed gender, with the exception of a specific student’s parental consent.
The bill passed by a vote of 34 to 12. Both bills will be sent to the House for consideration.
