SB 1476

Hi everyone, no I haven't dissapeared into a black hole, though grad school may be the next closest thing (-: I'm starting to get the rhythm of my schedule figured out, and after reading on all the California excitement on SB 1476, I decided to bring forth my return with an assessment of the bill. It's interesting stuff really.

For those who are curious, I'm going to be getting back into a weekend updating plan, so we'll see how that goes. I've been getting some help from the folks at Modern Poly (http://modernpoly.com/) with the case law review, which so dramatically eases the burden! This may actually be doable!

Anyway, more on that later, for now, I present...

Assessment of California SB 1476:

I'm still not sure I can properly digest the text of SB 1476... And the politics behind it are confusing me even more. After reviewing the CA Senate Rules Committee bill analysis of SB 1476 [1], I'm shocked there's only three organizations listed in opposition, and over a dozen listed in support... This legislation is as politically progressive as I've ever seen before, and far more so than I would ever expect to see, even for California.

I'd like to draw attention to a particular amendment that the bill proposes:

7162.b: “...a court may find that a child has more than two natural or adoptive parents...” [2]

This bit, even more than anything else, is completely shocking to me... The idea that California may recognize more than two 'natural' parents? Wow... I don't know what to make of that.

It is interesting that the opposition arguments focus on implementation issues and not moral issues, which goes in stark contrast to CA's 2008 ballot proposition 8, effectively banning homosexual marriage. It's an interesting look at the political dynamic between the citizenry and the electorate in California, as there seems to be quite a mismatch.

What does this mean to poly people though? Well, it's hard to see this as anything but a step forward, however it's important to remember that all SB 1476 is saying is that the judiciary is allowed to recognize more than two parents. There's no mandate for judges to do this, and no application process to allow for people to petition for this, it's a baby step.

Still though, it's a step.

- Jason

[1] - http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_1451-1500/sb_1476_cfa_20120828_161909_sen_floor.html

[2] - http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_1451-1500/sb_1476_bill_20120224_introduced.html