By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
The Alabama Family Rights Association (ALFRA) is hoping that the State Senate kills House Bill 333.
In a press release ALFRA announced, “HB 333 has been placed on the senate calendar and could be up for a floor vote in the Senate the last two days of the legislative session, Tuesday, May 3, 2016 or Wednesday May 4, 2016. Important bills are bought to the top of the calendar by Special Orders or by suspending the rules. Because of your emails and phone calls, HB 333 has not been placed on the Special Orders calendar. We encourage you to continue with your emails and phone calls on Monday and Tuesday. If HB 333 passes in its written form, it’s more likely to hinder any meaningful family law reform for the next 10-12 years.”
ALFRA President Kenneth Paschal urged legislators to vote NO on House Bill 333, sponsored by State Representative Mike Jones (R-Andalusia).
Paschal continued, “Although HB 333 suggests that children should have “frequent and continuing” contact with their parents; the bill fails to define frequent and continued, and preserves the status quo of standard visitation, which unduly restricts a child to 4-6 days a month with one parent.”
According to Paschal, “Experts in family systems, psychology, sociology, and the like have presented 40 studies, and 112 social scientists around the world have reached a consensus on shared parenting which states “…equal or approximately equal time-sharing with a minor child by both fit parents is in the best interest of the child.””
Paschal said, “The proposed bill ignores this research. As a result, HB333 fails to equally protect the parent-children relationship with both fit parents, and places Alabama children at risk for juvenile imprisonment, teen pregnancy, suicide, drug use, and sex trafficking.”
According to their website, “The Alabama Family Rights Association educates others to the importance of the parent-child relationship, placing an emphasis on family, and support children have the active involvement of both parents. ALFRA advocates safeguarding constitutional rights of children and parents, and supports change to all laws, including the 1852 Alabama child custody law, which creditable scientific research indicates places a negative impact upon children and society.” ALFRA is not satisfied that HB333 goes far enough toward their goals.
HB333 has been approved by the House and be a Senate. It could come to the floor of the Senate at any time. ALFRA is asking that Senators vote no on the bill which would require that judges approve court mandated parenting plans that divorced or separated couples with children will have to follow.
Tuesday and Wednesday are the last days of the legislative session.
