(The Center Square) – The Parent Protection Act, amended on the floor for foster care concerns, was approved in the North Carolina Senate on Wednesday evening.
Known also as Senate Bill 442, it prohibits parents from prosecution for refusing to affirm the gender identity of a child that experiences gender dysphoria. Concerns from the state Department of Health and Human Services about foster care surfaced in legislation – House Bill 560 – Tuesday going through the House of Representatives.
Passage was 32-13, with the aisle crossed by Democratic Sens. Dan Blue of Wake County, Paul Lowe of Forsyth County and Gladys Robinson of Guilford County. No Republicans were in opposition.
“The foster children are some of the most vulnerable people in this state and we do not want to inadvertently do anything that makes it difficult to place them,” said bill sponsor Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance.
Supporters of the two bills have cited parents losing custody of their children in other states for failing to recognize a gender that is different from the child’s biological gender.
Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, said the opposite is also true, with cases in other of parents losing custody for recognizing non-biological gender in their children. The North Carolina law should also protect those parents, Grafstein said.
“We know that children working through gender identity do better when they positive support from their families,” she said. “We should also be considering the position of parents who are providing a supportive environment for their child’s developing gender identity and are doing so consistent with study after study that show mental health improves and suicide decreases when young people feel supported.”
Grafstein offered an amendment that would make SB442 “neutral” to protect both categories of parents from prosecution.
“This is a common sense, fairness amendment,” she said.
Grafstein’s amendment, and three others, failed.
The Senate also passed HOA Revisions, known also as Senate Bill 378. This proposal would increase regulation of homeowners associations.
The bill passed 47-0 and is on to the House of Representatives, which has similar legislation.
“It deals with foreclosures, notice, due process requirements and protection of consumers in buying and selling properties,” said one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Todd Johnson, R-Wake.
