Proposed California bill would allow child to have more than two parents

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
7/5/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Bill seeks to eliminate the limit of two parents per child

A bill under now before California lawmakers would allow children to have more than two parents. The bill, SB 1476, introduced by Sen. Mark Leno (D) from San Francisco, would amend California's current two-parent-per-child law, allegedly in order to protect the best interests of the child. Of course, the implications of this on the children, the family and the society are serious.

Senator Mark Leno said the law would have limited application in California and is similar to legislation already present in other states such as Delaware, Maine and Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to Leno, the additional parents would have to meet a court-established definition of a parent. "The bill brings California into the 21st century, recognizing that there are more than Ozzie and Harriet families today," Leno told newspaper journalists.

Leno is quick to point out that the bill is not meant to expand the definition of who can qualify as a parent, but rather to eliminate the limit of two per child. Of course, such a cavalier dismissal of the very nature of the family and condescension toward a two parent family reflects an agenda.

The bill arises from a 2011 state appellate court case in which a young girl had two mothers. When one of the mothers was sent to prison and the other was hospitalized, the girl's biological father wished to care for her. The court ruled that the biological father could not be a legal guardian because of California's current law allowing only two parents per child.

In the end, the state took custody of the child.

Leno said the law would have limited application in California and is similar to legislation already present in other states such as Delaware, Maine and Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

The bill is scheduled to be considered by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on July 9, after it passed in the Senate in late May.

Opponents say that the bill would create confusion in the minds of impressionable children. Association of Certified Family Law Specialists President Diane Wasznicky said it would create an exception to California's formula for child support payments.

Benjamin Lopez, a legislative analyst for the Traditional Values Coalition, also blasted the bill as a new attempt to "revamp, redefine and muddy the waters" of family structure in the drive to legalize homosexual marriage.

Under the proposal, families with three or more parents would share custody, financial responsibility and visitation for the child, based on a judge's determination of each parent's wealth and the time spent with the child.

The legislation does not place any limit on the number of recognized parents a child could have. Leno called the possibility of a child having five or six parents "laughable." However, such a "laughable" possibility is now on the horizon.

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Keywords: Senator Mark Leno, parents, proposed bill, number of parents, gay marriage

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1 - 10 of 11 Comments

DLL
10 months ago
When we redefine the meaning of anything that was considered to be thought to be basically fundamental,then the meaning of any thing,or everything can be changed to suit any special interest. This is essentially the meaning of what it is to be "Politically Correct"! A Parent is the Mother or the Father,not a guardian,that is correct.
Judy Claar
10 months ago
Rob: Absolutely Right! Social Sciences 101. Emma: Long Story Short: The State of Calif. so in debt, gets $900 or more, per month for each child they have. Now, wouldn't this be a merry way to do away with debt? Consider not only orphans, child criminals, homeless children, abused children, (children from unemployed parents who, through no fault of their own, because perhaps their parents did not have a secure "government" job,) etc., you get my drift. Your story makes perfect sense w/what is happening. Some "get it" some "don't. Of course, some could and will say, "So goes Calif., so goes the US". "Sacred Heart Of Jesus, Pray For Us".
Judy Claar
10 months ago
Emma: No. It's not somewhat paranoid. "Things" have been put in place, happening or not happening, and now the falling dominoes cannot be stopped. Or so it appears. I don't know if it is too late or not. I Know I am a Catholic who lives her Faith. And I will do whatever, however, whenever I can do something for God and country. And country does not mean errors against humankind. Which to me, B.O. and his friends and followers do. All we can do is give it our all where we are and Pray. Who has forgotten that? We always say at the end, "thy will be done".
"Sacred Heart Of Jesus, Have Mercy On Us."
Emma
10 months ago
This may sound somewhat paranoid, but, if this law passes, what is to stop the state from declaring itself the parent? Then, all the state's children can go to camps in the summer and learn how to be good "sons and daughters" of the state. Sound familiar, anyone? The federal government has already in the case of minor migrant laborers declared corporate farms as the "parents" of these children. In what they called "protection of family farms". Minor migrant children are working in the fields during harvest season all over this country and are not protected by child labor laws because the Obama Administration refused to consider a bill that would have provided them with the same protections of other minor children. Working 12-14hrs a day, exposed to extreme heat, dehydration, chemicals, machinery, etc. At most, earning less than $100 a week for a 60-80 hr work week! But, that's ok because Obama has decided that the "factory farms" are in absentia parents of these children!! And, he calls himself a "friend" of the Hispanic Community?????? Right. I suppose if he garners the Hispanic Vote, he can keep letting his corportate buddies exploit these children!!!!!! It's sanctioned federal slavery! For more info......The Harvest.La Cosecha Documentary Film. Can be found on any search engine.
Rob
10 months ago
It's absolutely amazing to see the suffering that poor children must go through because we've toyed around with the creation of life, changed marriage and allowed the family to break down to the degree it has. I still do not understand why we do not hear of a rallying cry to protect the family as we do with other things? Seems to me that supporting the family should be the priority of every single parish outside of the sacraments. I think the root to all of society's problems lie there.
Theresa H
10 months ago
This is all so very sad for the children of our generation--over these past 40-50 years. They are being subjected to the most aberrant "ideas"--and many have hardly a chance at learning "the good, the true, and the beautiful" before they are exposed to such insanity! Come Lord Jesus--and deliver us from evil. Amen!
Parent
10 months ago
A parent is whom the child proceeds from ... anyone appointed as custodians is/are not a parent but guardian/s.

This is another example of a twisted idea and twisted ideas are twisting morality.
Emma
10 months ago
We have cities in California filing bankruptcy. The whole state is billions of dollars in debt and this is what our legislators are focusing on?? This explains it all. The people that the tax payers PAY to clean up this mess are more concerned with their own personal agendas than what is best for the citizens of our state. I'd like to ask Mr. Leno where the state is going to come up with more parents when there are thousands upon thousands in foster care because they don't even have ONE parent who gives a damn. There are already a safety net in place for these types of events, it's called Legal Guardianship!!! If any parents care about their children and they are grounded in reality, they've already established a legal guardian for their children. No loving parent wants to think that their children will be left orphans, but if they care, they will take the steps to see that the person that they choose to be the best replacement for them in that happenstance is already established as a legal guardian.. NOW......if only we, the citizens of California, could get our hired help in the legislature to address the pressing issues of our time, maybe they could straighten out this mess. JOBS, Mr. Leno...........JOBS!!!!!!!! What a waste of time and money.
Diane
10 months ago
Mark Leno's a Democrat from San Francisco- that says alot. If this bill passes a stronger precedent is set and others who want perverted so called families can get on the bandwagon along with homosexual so called parents. Cry the nations children. Of course, Obama's all for it, he likes queering the military and families and mutiple parenthood Im sure. Leno and Obama are mirror images. These politicians are destroying the human family any way they can- get rid of them.
jerzy gawor
10 months ago
'According to Leno, the additional parents would have to meet a court-established definition of a parent'. Court-established huh? Hmmmm..... REALLY!!!!!????

Whoa! What is it exactly that Mr Leno doesn't get???? Here is the True 'parenting' formula lest he's forgotten how it all works and this is what the Law of any Land should be prioritizing and protecting:

Mother (Female Parent) + Father (Male Parent) = Child (QED)

So far as I am aware this is how the Human Race has made it thus far. So, back to the old saying 'if it ain't broken why mend it'? Adding more 'parents' is unnecessary (absurd really) and in fact crosses the border into the dysfunctional and perverse! Or is that the 'not so hidden' agenda?

While trying to 'square the circle' Leno and his social engineering buddies should remember that this sort of lunacy will simply leave a legacy of psychologically damaged children for years to come.

Family and Marriage Forever!

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