Clashes over Democratic efforts this legislative session to alter Washington’s Parents’ Bill of Rights have played out on the House and Senate floor, social media, the steps of the Capitol and now, with a second initiative.
Let’s Go Washington filed a new initiative Monday to repeal any changes to the original Parents’ Bill of Rights, Initiative 2081, passed by the Legislature last year. The initiative is aimed at undoing House Bill 1296, which would roll back some of the language in last year’s law, should it pass the Senate and be signed into law. It follows an initiative this month to repeal Senate Bill 5181 — which was similar in aim to the House bill — filed by the same group founded by conservative millionaire Brian Heywood, who bankrolled last year’s initiative.
Democratic lawmakers say their legislation is necessary to address confusion among school districts trying to implement the initiative and to protect student privacy. Republicans say Democrats are “gutting” the initiative they helped pass last year in a move that will further erode trust with parents of public school students.
Following a heated debate on the floor, House lawmakers last week passed HB 1296, which, unlike the Senate bill, goes beyond changes to the Parents’ Bill of Rights.
It includes new requirements for public schools to adopt gender-inclusive policies, prioritize student safety and privacy and establish protections against retaliation for public school employees.
In an interview Monday, Heywood said he wants to restore Initiative 2081’s original language. The easiest way to do that, he said, is with a complete repeal of the House bill.
“This Legislature doesn’t use fine tools of nuance, they use sledgehammers,” Heywood said. “So, I’m pushing back on their sledgehammer. They’re pretending like they’re doing something for students’ rights but the purpose of (HB) 1296 and (SB) 5181 was to gut the primary aspect of (Initiative) 2081, which was parents’ right to know.”
He said if Democrats want to pass students’ rights and inclusive learning policies they should do it in a separate bill.
Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, prime sponsor of HB 1296, said it is “not surprising” that the “far right” would want to repeal provisions protecting students from discrimination or ensuring an inclusive learning environment.
“I think that their leader, King Trump, is working to remove all work that we’ve done in the area of inclusion,” Stonier said. Earlier in the session, viral social media clips of representatives discussing amendments drew the attention of President Donald Trump and other outspoken Republicans across the country.
“It is offensive, the rhetoric around the far right’s notion of what’s happening in public schools, because it is clearly not based in reality,” said Stonier, who has been a public school educator for more than two decades.
The House bill is supported by youth advocacy groups including the Washington Youth Alliance. Chetan Soni, president of the group’s board, said the bill provides clarity for students and educators at a crucial time. “In Trump’s America, right, we have to make sure that we’re all sticking up for each other, especially at a local and state level,” he said.
Soni said respect for students’ rights and privacy is crucial for a productive learning environment where students can feel safe accessing resources such as mental health care. It’s not about cutting parents out, he said. Instead it’s about balancing students’ and parents’ right to make sure that vulnerable populations have certain protections.
“We’d like to believe that every parent has their student’s best interest at heart, but sometimes that’s just not the case, especially with marginalized students from anywhere” and LGBTQ students, he said.
Stonier said the Let’s Go Washington initiatives will not impact how the bills progress through the session. HB 1296 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee on Wednesday. SB 5181 has not been scheduled for a public hearing in the House yet.
There are several weeks remaining in this year’s legislative session, which is expected to adjourn April 27.
