Kern's bill would end most instances of easy, no-fault divorce in Oklahoma based on incompatibility (if minor children are affected and spousal abuse is not an issue). McCullough's bill would require engaged couples to obtain at least eight hours of premarital counseling prior to being married. Rep. Wright's bill, which passed out of the House Judiciary Committee late Monday afternoon, would require estranged married couples to obtain one hour of counseling before they could file a petition for divorce.
All these bills -- rather than being meddlesome -- are intended to strengthen marriages in Oklahoma and help to lessen the incidence of family fragmentation, both prior to and after the marital union is established, and particularly when minor children will be negatively affected.
Patrick B. McGuigan with CapitolBeatOK.com features an account of the Tuesday news conference, which can be read by clicking here.
Sounds great that we are doing better in the marriage department. Now for the hard stuff.
ReplyDeleteWhat are we doing to help support families who struggle with special needs children and other family members? The financial strains are huge.
In the autism community, divorce rates are 80%. So what do the above mentioned legislators do to help families, They vote against them. Please support policies that support families instead of just window dressing and cheap political slogans for voters.
Pass Nick's Law, you will support families instead of destroying them
Thanks, Wayne, for your comment. Actually, we aren't doing better as a culture in the marriage department. Marriage is dying in the U.S. and that's why there are so many marriage movement initiatives and attempted legislative fixes springing up. The work must continue in this and a hundred different other ways.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine the financial strains and pressure for parents of autistic children are immense. I am sorry that your family has had to face this difficult situation.
Two measures you might not know about are an education tax credit for parents of children with special needs and another effort to encourage scholarships for special-needs kids. We'll be highlighting these bills, HB 3393 and HB 3327, as it moves through the process.
What makes these bills so unique is that they are being fashioned in a truly bipartisan approach: Democrat Rep. Anastasia Pittman (D-OKC) is working with Republicans Rep. Jason Nelson (R-OKC) and Sen. Patrick Anderson (R-Enid) to help the special-needs community through these two bills.
Read about their efforts at CapitolBeatOK: http://capitolbeatok.playintraffik.com/_webapp_2729634/Bipartisan_legislative_push_begins_for_special-needs_scholarship.
It may not be all you would wish for, but it's a good start that can make a difference for lots of Oklahoma families.