Washington Votes

2007 Senate Bill 5071 (Concerning visitation rights for grandparents.)

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  • Introduced by Sen. Darlene Fairley, (D-Lake Forest Park) on January 10, 2007, to ensure grandparents have visitation rights to their grandchildren and to also establish who a grandparent is. Grandparents are listed as a person who is related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
    • Referred to the Senate Human Services & Corrections Committee on January 10, 2007.

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Comments

Introduced by Sen. Darlene Fairley, (D-Lake Forest Park) on January 10, 2007. New Comment

1) Grandparents [by Anonymous Citizen on July 3, 2008]
what about Grandparent vs Grandparent has anyone heard or know of a case? If you know please let us know......alabama
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2) grandparent rights [by Anonymous Citizen on June 21, 2008]
I believe that grandchildren are often used as the pawns in a concerted effort to wield power and control over grandparents by emotionally immature parents. In most cases, children are being denied the right to visit a grandparent not out of love or concern for the child, but out of vindictiveness by a parent. Grandparents are an important and integral part of the social and emotional fabric of a child's life and if need be, should be protected by law.
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3) My grandson [by Anonymous Citizen on May 8, 2008]
My son was killed. My 6 year old grandson and his mother lived with us for the first year and a half,following his death. We supported them and loved them. She rconciled with her parents and moved to Washington, while we were gone and without so much as a thank you. (She left because of the money she owed us). I have pleaded with her to let us talk to our grandson, by email. She refuses, she will not give the cards we send, and I am worried about him and what affect this has had on him, since he was never able to say good bye. Her parents are both alcholics and smoke pot. All I want is to be able to communicate with him as he grows up and tell him about his daddy. Is that so wrong? Why can't the courts allow reasonable contact between grandchild and grandparents when the death of a parent occurs and the living parent just wants the child to forget us?
There needs to be a law to protect the welfare of the child and grandchildren deserve to know their grandparents love them, even if it only comes through the phone and mail system.
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4) grandparent visitation [by Anonymous Citizen on May 9, 2008]
Why? Because there is no such thing as grandparent visitation rights. A right is something you're entitled to. Therefore, there can't be grandparents visitation rights. You have no rights, can't you get that through your head? It's up to the parents in WA State. Not the courts. The US Supreme Court, WA Supreme Court, and Court of Appeals made that clear. Anybody who would go against parents deserves to be shunned, and cut out of the childrens lives.
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5) the other grandparent [by Anonymous Citizen on May 8, 2008]
I am the other grandparent. The mother's mother has put my son and his family through abuse charges that were proved to be false. She did not return the children when she had visitation always filing charges. We went to comtempt of court to get the children back. He was given sole custody in the custody battle. Now we go to court as she has petitioned to see the grandchildren. My son now fights for his right to protect his children who are now afraid they will not be coming home to him. I feel both sides should be evaluated. I feel that the courts should be a little more receptive to the fathers plea of sanctuary for his children. It is a sad day when we need to fight for our rights as parents to protect our children even from grandparents!
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6) Grandparent Visitation [by Anonymous Citizen on April 26, 2008]
There is no such thing as grandparent visitation rights in Washington State. Both the US Supremce Court and WA State Supreme Court, along with the WA Court Of Appeals concluded that grandparent visitation is an Unconstitutional Infringement on parental rights, both Facially, and As Applied. Those legislators who try to introduce new bills are working against the parents of this state, and should be thrown out of office, people like Rep Ruth Kagi, who works for special interests like the organization called GROW, and the AARP.
There is no law in WA State, just like Florida, the only two states without this Unconstitutional Law. Make sure to keep it that way.....
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7) grandparents rights [by Anonymous Citizen on February 27, 2008]
my son is 4 weeks old. his grandmother is verbally, mentally, and physically abusive to her own children and even strangers. But... because of the new grandparent act, she may get unsupervised weekend visits with him and 2 other grandchildren. this is unfair to me, the mother, and to the children. grandparents have priviliges, not rights. they've had their chance when they raised their own children.
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8) Unconstitutional [by Anonymous Citizen on January 17, 2007]
This bill is another attempt at forcing fit parents to adhere to a judges interpretation of how their children should be raised. Why do we need this intrusion in our lives? Relationships cannot be legislated. This goes against fundamental Constitutional Rights. Our Constitutionally protected rights to the care, custody and control of our children are being compromised and hashed around in court when we have done nothing wrong.

The same legislators try this year after year. For "Special Interest" groups. How come they don't understand that it's a parents job to decide whom their children will associate with? Would these same legislators try to make a bill that would allow parents to sue grandparents whom don't want to see their grandchildren? Wouldn't that be Equal Protection? I bet they wouldn't try that kind of bill, now would they?

A minor child's best interest is served by loving, protective parents. Parents in general are NOT opposed to their children seeing their grandparents who repect the parents. This would include the majority of grandparents. Parents are opposed to government involvement when there is a difference of opinion between the parents and nonparent relatives - grandparents - over the parent's children. The children in these cases are happy and healthy, their parents loving and protective. Courts should not be substituting their opinion for that of the fit parents decision. Since this is not a life or death issue, it should stay out of the legal system.

Grandparents who are thinking of taking parents to court may want to think about alternate solutions to solving their family conflicts, like say, being decent human beings! Grandparents who sue for visitation obviously are opposed to allowing their adult children the same right they enjoyed raising their own children without government interference. This is NOT about the children, it's about manipulative, vindictive, controlling, narcissist grandparents, whom are allowed legal harassment through the courts. This is in turn Family Abuse that is legislated.

Grandparents who sue demonstrate precisely why they are not welcomed to be a part of the grandchildren's lives. A grandparent who takes advantage of a single parent's situation and sues because they can does NOT serve anyone's interest but their own. This is a Baby-Boomer control issue, not a rights issue.

Taking healthy families to court, at tremendous expense to the family, further degrading them with psychological evaluations, violating their privacy with attorneys and judges is abuse of the family. Normal, rational grandparents don't use these laws or need them. Normal grandparents value parents and the relationship between themselves and the child's parents and don't find it necessary to further damage the relationship with hateful court actions where the child is caught in the middle. If a family relationship has deteriorated to the point that you would need court intervention to visit your grandchild, then it's time to walk away. These cases are like a never ending divorce, it isn't healthy for the child at all. Litigation brings tremendous stress to the child, and whole family.

Is it in the best interest of the child/children to bankrupt parents by suing them and depriving their children of activities and, possible necessities of life? Obviously, something has changed if a parent decides that the grandparents are no longer welcome in their home, or be allowed to visit with the grandchildren. These are Obviously not fit grandparents, and it's up to the parents to make that determination. There is normally a legitimate reason a parent would stop a grandparent from seeing the child.

The type of Harm that comes from litigation definately supersedes any kind of "So Called" Harm that the grandparents claim that the children receive in not seeing them. May I ask what happens when a grandparent dies, or doesn't want to see their grandchildren? Nothing, the children are still loved by their parents, and they move on. There is NO HARM PERIOD!

FIT parents should not have to defend their right to parent, and protect their children from third parties. Bad parents age and become bad grandparents. Parents shouldn't have to defend their right to limit contact with people they know to be harmful.

Grandparent visitation ONLY affects FIT parents.

When a parent is unfit then grandparent visitation will NOT help the child, and there are other laws in place.

These grandparents should be ashamed for using the court system to assault family privacy.

Grandparent visitation is a priviledge not a right.

Please write, call, and email these legislators, and tell them this is Unconstitutional, and Bad Law! This goes against the caselaw of the WA State Supreme Court, Appelate Court, and the US Supreme Court Decision in Troxel, as well as against the US Constitution, and WA State Constitution.
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9) Frustrated and Lost [by Anonymous Citizen on April 28, 2008]
I am a single mother of two great kids and I am fighting this battle now. My so called mother potitioned the court for grandparents rights. She won that case and now she has potitioned the court for custody. The Judge due to his byass against single mothers gave temp custody to her. He did not listen to the facts, such as she has a record of child abuse, and drug addiction. I have been raising my kids alone for along time. I don't abuse or neglect them. I don't do drugs and I work. I don't use the system to support my kids but I have been made out to be a bad mother because I am single and don't own a home. This Judge has taken my daughter and given the grandmother all rights. I have seen my daughter two times in three months and there is nothing I can do about it. My daugter wants to live there because the grandparents don't say no and buy her everything. The next court date keeps getting moved and I'm running out of money for the attorney bills. The court system is only for the people with money and because I work I can't get legal aid. I dont know where to turn for help financially and emotionally. I live in Ohio where gradually parents are loosing all there rights and noone will help.
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10) Grandparents aren't all bad. [by Anonymous Citizen on April 21, 2008]
The other side of your arguement would be less than perfect parents. They do exist.
In our case a fued between our son and daughter kept us from being allowed to see grandchild. This doesn't make us unfit lunatics.
Both parents of the child refuse to work. This doesn't make us terrible grandparents.
Both parents party non-stop and have house guests 24/7. Why or how does this make us bad grandparents.
We often have to purchase formula and diapers for grandson. Are we bad yet?
Do you believe if no contact is granted that later in life the grandchild won't want to see or meet their grandparents? More traumatic later in life for the child to meet family members than having it would be to have constant contact and support throughout their young lives.
Get my point?
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11) If you raised them right... [by Anonymous Citizen on June 12, 2008]
They might not be inclined to keep you from your grandchildren.

It's ultimately their decision to make.
Sometimes freedom has a cost... parental freedom
may cost the grandparents visitations, but that's
life... odds are if the grandparents are being excluded
it is their own fault.
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12) Grandparent Visitation [by Anonymous Citizen on April 26, 2008]
Please don't be a narcissist. STAY OUT OF YOUR CHILDRENS LIVES, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO> YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE TO RAISE THEM. NOW IT"S THIER TURN. TRY TO WORK ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP, INSTEAD OF THINKING ABOUT SUING. YOU ARE SICK AND MANIPULATIVE. STAY OUT OF THEIR LIVES. ARE YOU SICK?
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13) Grandparent Visitation in WA [by Anonymous Citizen on April 26, 2008]
You make me sick. Why do you think you have rights to someone elses children? Stay out of their life. If you have a lawsuit on your mind, you should be banished from their lives forever. You don't even know how hard a lawsuit would be on them. GET LOST. You are only thinking about yourselves. SCREW YOU
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14) Frustrated [by Anonymous Citizen on April 28, 2008]
I am so glad that other people are able to express what I'm feeling. My mother abused me and my sibling and now a judge gave my daughter to her. i don't believe in hitting my kids because of what she did to me and I have raised good kids. But now my daughter is being brain washed into believing lies about me and other members of her family. I am happy to see that others feel the same way about grandparents already had there chance and now its ours!
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