DENVER – Republican Sen. Ellen Roberts on Wednesday defended her support for a measure that some interpret as making it easier to opt out of immunizations, while making it harder for counselors to intervene in cases of child abuse.
The so-called Parent’s Bill of Rights received initial support from the Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday. A final vote could come as early as Thursday. But the measure – likely to make it to the Democratic-controlled House – faces an uphill battle there.
The bill would set rights pertaining to education, health care and mental health. It is expansive, and within its language is a provision that would require parents to be notified of a right to be exempt from any state immunization laws.
Parents already are entitled to exemptions for personal and religious beliefs. But some interpret the measure as making it easier to opt out.
Roberts acknowledged that some called her “crazy” for signing onto the bill. The moderate Durango Republican said the vaccination component wasn’t compelling to her. She said the bill is really about building family networks.
“It’s not a vaccination bill,” Roberts told The Durango Herald in an interview on Monday.
She said her children have been vaccinated, and she encourages others to immunize their children.
During floor debate on Wednesday, she further explained her support.
“Some folks have suggested perhaps I was crazy to put my name on the bill. It was not that I was confused, or busy at the moment, and didn’t realize what I was signing onto. I absolutely knew what I was doing,” Roberts said.
“I think that’s an awesome policy to promote the involvement of parents and children enrolled in the schools within the school district,” she added.
But concerns have been raised that the measure would also require a parent’s approval to even provide a child with mental-health services, such as counseling in cases of abuse. If that child is being abused at home, a parent might not grant approval.
Senate Democratic Leader Morgan Carroll of Aurora said the bill was tantamount to “criminalization of health care and the micro-direction from every parent in the state of Colorado on what is and isn’t exactly in their curriculum, or whether or not folks get vaccinated.”
Democrats successfully pushed for the adoption of an amendment that removed criminal penalties for professionals who refer abused kids for counseling without parental consent.
But Roberts questioned whether the bill would actually prevent professionals from intervening in cases of abuse. She pointed to mandatory reporting laws and crimes pertaining to abuse.
“I find it a bit of a red herring to say that this bill would open the floodgates to additional abuse,” Roberts said.
Democrats, however, said professionals need greater ability to intervene; not less. Sen. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, a leader on education issues at the Capitol, pointed out that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual assault by age 18.
“We need to be tightening up our protection of these kids who are most at risk from various forms of abuse,” Kerr said. “(The measure) actually works against that direction.”
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
