On Friday, September 22, Gavin Newsom vetoed AB957, the bill that would have made affirmation law and forced judges to favor the affirming parent when making awards of physical and legal custody. (See the Governor’s announcement here and our FLTJ updates here and here). Regardless of his reasons for doing so (fear of alienating potential voters who might support his future POTUS run), we in California no longer have to live in fear knowing that judges have the legal authority to remove custody from parents who are unwilling or unable to affirm their babies’ gender confusion. [Recall: this is already happening in California without a law permitting it. However, because there is currently no law authorizing it, these illegal rulings can be set aside, and many such horrible rulings will be avoided altogether, now, given the veto + national public outcry. (hence our call for public outcry on the remaining Bad Bills [see below])].

We at FLTJ shudder to think what would have happened to millions children if Gavin had given AB957 – and woke (or scared) judges and mentally-unstable and/or vindictive “affirming” parents – the green light to weaponize a child’s mental distress to game the already twisted family law system. Now its time to protect the rest of California’s 9M+ children and veto AB665.

WHY AB665?

AB665 legally emancipates 12-year-olds. Read that again: AB665. Emancipates. Minors. I explain in detail, below, but high level it allows 12-year-olds to leave home and check into a government shelter for any reason without any allegation – let alone proof – of abuse, incest or danger, and without notice to parents, let alone their consent. If our children are no longer living at home, but in government shelters, nothing else matters, not curricula, not being able to speak at school board meetings, not profiling families. Our children will be in State custody and consuming and doing everything the State wants without our participation anyway.

HOW DOES AB665 DO THAT?

AB665 removes current, legal requirements that a child be the victim of abuse, incest, or a danger before s/he can leave home and check into a government “residential shelter” without any notice to their parents. If AB665 passes, these 50-year-old “risk guardrails” will be struck from the Family Code and children as young as 12 will be able to run away from home and “self-consent” into a government shelter to receive “mental health” and “residential shelter services” for any reason without notice to their parents. Wiener and Carrillo – neither of whom have children – claim that the bill amends Family Code, section 6924, to “open Medi-Cal benefits” so that children who are Medi-Cal recipients can receive mental health services for free; but the proposed amendments (1) do not do that and (2) there are two easy, legal ways to do that instead and one way that would require medical providers to first “do no harm,” but that – as we know – is a long shot:

ACTUAL SOLUTIONS TO THE MEDI-CAL ISSUE:

1. Repeal Welfare & Institutions Code, section 14029.8, which currently says that Medi-Cal benefits cannot cover mental health services rendered under Health & Safety Code, section 124260, in its entirety OR
2. Amend section Welfare & Institutions Code, section 14029.8 to strike one word – “not” – so that it reads: “Section 124260 of the Health and Safety Code shall not apply to the receipt of benefits under the Medi-Cal program.”
3. Have the medical provider, who has the legal authority and discretion to do so, authorize the services under Family Code, section 6924, instead of Health & Safety Code, section 124260, avoiding Media-Cal restrictions completely.
   1. Problem is: why would a medical provider want to do that and force themselves to comply with the “risk guardrails”?
   2. Do you see how they are all colluding to get your child into mental health treatment where their communications are confidential and you can, legally, be left out of the loop completely ???
      1. Please familiarize yourself with what medical care your 12+ year olds can get without you.
      2. Please familiarize yourself with how we got here so you can understand where bills like AB957 and 665, etc. are taking us and why they are so dangerous.

SO HOW DO WE GET GAVIN’S VETO?

We “pull an AB957”: massive, nationwide, full-court media press against AB665 and Presidential hopeful, Gavin Newsom. These touches need to be coming from everyone because (1) so goes California… and (2) Gavin is running for POTUS. He needs to know that everyone is watching him. Here’s how:

2. Call Gavin at (916) 445–2841 ask him to Veto the Bad Bills.
   1. Capitol Phone Main line (916) 445-2841
   2. Los Angeles Office (213) 254-2670
   3. San Francisco Office (415) 202-5498
   4. Riverside Office (951) 900-8434
   5. San Diego Office (619) 514-2002
   6. Fresno Office (559) 216-1010
3. Submit an Online Comment asking him to Veto.
4. Complete PERK’s One-Click Action Campaigns for each of the remaining Bad Bills (AB665, AB1078, SB596, SB659), which send Gavin emails and Tweets asking that he Veto them.
5. Tweet @GavinNewsom.
6. Instagram @GavinNewsom.
7. TikTok @GavinNewsom.
8. ATTEND THE PARENTS’ RIGHTS RALLY, Tuesday, September 26, 5-7 p.m. at the Rancho Madera Community Park, in Simi Valley:

WHAT DO WE SAY?

“Gav, VETO AB665 because allowing your 12 year old to leave home and check into a residential shelter at any time for any reason without notice to parents / guardians and no allegations of abuse or danger…

1. DEPRIVES me of my constitutionally-protected fundamental right to Due Process of Law (notice that your rights are in jeopardy and opportunity to be heard and to present your case before they are gone).
   1. WHAT HAPPENED TO “INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY”?!
2. HOW ARE PARENTS GOING TO GET THEIR RIGHTS BACK??? What about the minority and immigrant communities – whom you claim to be protecting (Medi-Cal) – going to pay to get their children back or be involved in their care??
3. EVISCERATES my fundamental, constitutionally-protected rights to direct the nature, care and upbringing of my child, which have been upheld for over 100 years and were just reaffirmed by U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez.
4. AB665 is DANGEROUS for ALL children. Government “shelters” are overrun and overburdened already. AB665 will flood them with children experiencing normal growing pains with their parents / guardians, and without allegations or proof of abuse or danger, thereby not triggering normal procedures for documenting and monitoring the kid.
5. AB665 does not resolve the issue it intends to address. The EASIEST and legal way to open up Medi-Cal benefits for mental health services to minors is to:
   1. repeal Welfare & Institutions Code section 14029.8 entirely, OR
   2. amend section 14029.8 to strike one word – “not” – from it so that it would read: “Section 124260 of the Health and Safety Code shall not apply to the receipt of benefits under the Medi-Cal program.”
   3. authorize treatment under Family Code, section 69024.
      1. Why not take the most direct, legal, impactful route, without jeopardizing the lives of millions of children, and the fundamental rights of even more parents, Gavin???
6. See FLTJ Bad Bills Veto Toolkit for more.