Sen. Alvarado-Gil stands with families against dangerous bills targeting educational choice and parental rights

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) stood with California families to defend parental rights and educational freedom as two dangerous bills were placed on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File, where bills historically go to quietly die.

“Today is a small win in the battle, but this fight is far from over,” said Senator Alvarado-Gil. “AB 84 and AB 495 hurt kids and drive yet another wedge between them and their parents, putting government in their place. I am proud to stand with the strong parents of SD 4 to say no, protect families, and defend educational freedom. Parents know what’s best for their children, not Sacramento politicians.”

Under the false guise of reform, AB 84 (Muratsuchi) would gut California charter schools, eliminating educational choice for families. In June, Senator Alvarado-Gil released an op-ed strongly opposing the bill, and today she testified against it during the Appropriations Committee’s “Me Too” comment period.

Equally threatening is AB 495 (Rodriguez), a Trojan horse bill designed to undermine parental rights. With just a single sheet of paper, it would let anyone claim guardianship of a child without proof, background checks, or court review, giving them authority over schooling and medical decisions.

“We should be doing everything to protect vulnerable children, not take away their shot at educational success or make it easier for abusers to exploit them. These bills still have a slight pulse until the Suspense hearing on August 29. Until then, I will stand with California families to protect their rights and help kill these bills for good,” concluded Senator Alvarado-Gil.