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The state and school boards can actually facilitate abortions, vaccinations, and drug abuse treatment for children without parental consent.
California Democrats just passed a bill to fund healthcare clinics in the state’s K-12 public schools, against Republicans’ and the California Department of Finance’s objections. Included in the primary health care services are mental health services, “reproductive health services” (abortions, birth control), vaccinations, and drug abuse treatment. The clincher is that parental consent is not needed for any of these health services. In fact, according to bill analysis, “The Right to Life League said that this bill will ensure that state-funded chemical or surgical abortions can secretly and conveniently take place on school campuses, public or private, without parental involvement and without a doctor.”
The Department of Finance warned of the hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the School-Based Health Center Support Program (SBHCS Program).
The Senate had an intense debate Friday over AB 1940 by Assemblyman Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) to fund healthcare clinics within California public schools.
Senate Republicans were particularly concerned about these onsite health centers that don’t require parental involvement. Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (R-Redlands) asked Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) about the ages of children served, and if the health clinics would be in elementary, middle and/or high schools.
“The decisions are being made by schools and school districts,” Sen. Hurtado said. “It will be decided at the local level what services they provide to students.”
“Last year we passed a bill prohibiting health plans from informing parents medications children as young as 12 could receive,” Sen. Ochoa Bogh said. “We are now providing these services on campuses without parents, through their health plans, knowing what is being provided to their children.”
“We are opening a can of worms. Think very deeply about what that could mean,” Sen. Ochoa Bogh said. “That means that state, our school boards, can actually facilitate medical treatment for children with absolutely no knowledge or engagement from the parents. We are basically emancipating our children with their healthcare in the state of California. As a parent and future grandparent, I am extremely concerned about where we are going.”
According to the California Family Council, the bill passed last year that Sen. Ochoa Bogh referred to is AB 1184 by Sen. Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Valley), which requires insurance companies to hide from parents “sensitive” services including abortions, sexual assault, and mental health treatment that their children are receiving. Planned Parenthood sponsored that bill and would be one of the beneficiaries of this new bill, because they are advocating to set up health clinics within public schools.
“These on-site health care centers are to provide ‘comprehensive health care’ that is ‘age appropriate,” said Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield). “We all know that this legislative body has passed legislation that says appropriate age healthcare is 12-year-olds, for them to be taken off campus for an abortion without their parent’s knowledge.”
“This is why thousands of parents are taking their kids out of public schools, because it is turning into a health facility without our knowledge, and it is wrong,” Sen. Brian Dahle (R-Redding) said. “[Parents] do understand one thing, that this legislature is moving in a direction to take away the control of your child and letting somebody else administer their healthcare at school.”
“I have heard a lot of comments today about what people want and honestly what I want is for politicians to keep their nose out of our business and the business of our kids,” said Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Murrieta). “It is not the government’s role to raise our children. It is not the government’s role to decide what healthcare is best for them. Parents need to be involved. Parents need to be the ultimate decision maker regarding these health decisions for their children.”
“What if your child is thinking about ‘self-harm or suicide,’” Melendez asked her Senate colleagues. “Wouldn’t you want to know that that is going on in your child’s life so that you could partner with the healthcare professionals to help your child? Would you appreciate it if you were cut out of the loop and didn’t even know was thinking that?”
“Government employees and politicians think they know what is best for kids,” Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Chico) said. “The blood bond of having a child, of raising a child is so superior than the abstract concept ‘we know what is best.’”
Click here to read the full article in the California Globe
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