West Virginia has passed a new “Parents’ Bill of Rights” aimed at giving moms and dads stronger parental rights. The legislation, signed into law by Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey, is set to take effect June 22 and offers much-needed protection for parental rights that many say have come under attack in other states.
The new law clearly outlines that parents — not bureaucrats — are the ones who have the ultimate say in their child’s upbringing, education, health care, and moral development. It affirms the right of parents to direct their child’s education, choose between public, private, or homeschool options, and make decisions about religious and moral instruction. It also ensures full access to school records and medical decisions, barring legal exceptions.
This legislation didn’t pass quietly. The Republican-led state legislature overwhelmingly supported the bill, with an 87-9 vote in the House and 32-1 in the Senate. Most of the opposition came from Democrats, except for one Senate Democrat who crossed party lines in support of the bill — a rare sign of bipartisan agreement on the importance of empowering parents.
Jordan Carpenter, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, applauded the law, saying, “Parents love and know their child best, and they have the right and duty to direct the upbringing and care of their children. In no world should the government intrude on parenting choices just because it disagrees with the parents.”
The timing of this legislation is no accident. In recent years, several states — especially those controlled by progressive lawmakers — have faced backlash from parents for policies that hide a child’s gender identity from parents or promote ideological content without parental consent. From Florida to California and Colorado, lawsuits are piling up from families who say schools are working behind parents’ backs, particularly when it comes to radical gender ideology.
In Florida, for example, a mother sued her school district for secretly supporting her daughter’s decision to adopt a male identity, all while withholding that information from the parents. Similar lawsuits have been filed in California and other blue states where parents are being pushed out of their rightful role in their children’s lives.
West Virginia’s law stands as a firm response to this trend. It’s a message to government institutions: the family, not the state, is the primary authority in a child’s life. And for countless parents across the nation who feel ignored, it’s a model that other states may soon follow.
