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Fathers & Families' Shared Parenting Bill Heard in Committee
Testimony on HB 1400, Fathers & Families' Shared Parenting Bill HB 1400 was heard by the Joint Commission on the Judiciary of the Massachusetts Legislature on Thursday (9/17). The bill would establish a presumption of shared legal and shared physical custody following divorce, where a family court determines that both parents are fit to care for their children.
Through Fathers & Families' efforts, over one-quarter of the Massachusetts Legislature has expressed clear, public support for our Shared Parenting Bill, many of them signing on as co-sponsors. We gathered thousands of signatures to place shared parenting on the 2004 Massachusetts ballot and led a successful campaign for its passage, winning 86% of the vote. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told the Legislature that if they pass Fathers & Families' Shared Parenting bill, he will sign it, and F & F recently met with Massachusetts Governor Patrick.
Fathers & Families selected eight activists to testify in support of the bill Thursday. Led by Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S., Founder and Chair of the Board of Fathers & Families, the group spoke movingly about the need for shared parenting.
Harris Allen, PHD described how he had gone from a work-at-home primary caretaker of his two children to a “visitor."
Cheryl Quiambao described her experience as a child of divorce, and the feelings of sadness she has fought because of the loss of her father, together with the struggles of her current fiance to see his children.
Annie McQuilken portrayed the endless legal warfare the Massachusetts courts have incited between her husband and his ex-wife, compared to the peaceful resolution with shared parenting in her own previous divorce in shared parenting-friendly Colorado.
Norma Millett lamented how little she sees of her grandchildren as a result of the terrible injustices the courts have brought to her son in his divorce.
Shawn Gliklich, MD, an emergency room physician, first impressed the Committee by caring for a woman who collapsed in the hearing room, then spoke with deep emotion about the diminution of his role as a parent in the Massachusetts courts.
Finally, Attorney Deborah Sirotkin Butler spoke tartly and with sardonic humor about the mistreatment of fathers and children in the courts, winning a favorable reaction from several legislators who already knew of her work for the poor.
Afterwards, Holstein saw something he has never seen before at any legislative hearing, before any Massachusetts committee, on any issue: a prolonged question-and-answer dialogue on our issue. Altogether, the Fathers & Families speakers were before the committee for a full hour.
According to Holstein, the fact that they interacted with us for so long, with 50 people still waiting to testify, is impressive—"They don't do that if they just want to sweep an issue under the rug."
Fathers & Families also submitted written testimony in support of HB 1400, and additional testimony supporting or opposing 18 other family law-related bills that were also heard on September 17.
To read Fathers & Families' written testimony in support of HB 1400, click here. To read Holstein's spoken testimony, click here. To read the testimony of Harris Allen, PHD, click here.
Olympic Wrestler Taken Down—By His Ex-Girlfriend
 “What no wrestler in the world could do, Trenesha Biggers did with astonishing ease–she took down Kurt Angle."
One of the most egregious misuses of courts in this country is the wholesale issuance of Temporary Restraining Orders. Not only is there often little or no evidence to support them, the target of the TRO is given no opportunity to produce evidence or argue against its issuance.
Such is the case of wrestler/entrepreneur Kurt Angle. Angle lives near Pittsburgh and won fame in 1996 by winning an Olympic Gold medal for the United States at the Atlanta games. Since then, he's parlayed his Olympic fame into great success in the ring at home. He formed a successful business promoting himself, other wrestlers, and wrestling events.
But what no wrestler in the world could do in 1996, Trenesha Biggers did with astonishing ease in August of this year; she took down Kurt Angle.
According to this video of Angle, Biggers and he were a couple for about 10 months (The Pittsburgh Channel, 9/16/09). Eventually the pair started living together in Angle's house. But he says that she continually pressured him to marry her, and was “clingy" and overbearing. So he told her there would be no wedding and the two drifted apart emotionally. But Biggers remained living in Angle's house; she received her mail there and apparently established it as her residence. (Can you see what's coming?)
So on August 15, 2009, Angle was confronted by the police, arrested and spent nine hours in jail. His offense? He was in violation of the PFA (Protection From Abuse order) Biggers had had issued against him less than two hours before! That's right, he had no knowledge of the PFA and had had no opportunity to tell his side of the story.
But that's not the kicker. The kicker is that, because his house is her residence, he is prohibited by the PFA from setting foot in his own home. It's his house; Biggers is basically insolvent and hasn't paid a dime for it. But because of a hearing Angle had no knowledge of, concerning allegations he had no opportunity to rebut, she's living there and he's not permitted anywhere near the place. She's been there for over a month.
Angle was later cleared of violating the PFA of which he was completely unaware, and also of possessing a prescription drug for which he had a prescription. Read about it here (Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 9/15/09).
But here's the final indignity. He's set for yet another hearing on September 29th. What's that all about? At that hearing the judge will decide whether to make the order for Angle to stay out of his own house permanent.
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Please Take a Moment to Fill Out This Form |
Fathers & Families has a massive E-Newsletter list numbering over 50,000 members and supporters. However, we could do more with more information about our supporters. We ask that each person reading this email take a brief moment to fill out this form. It will help our movement organize better and grow stronger.
Please click here to fill out the form.
Glenn Sacks, MA
Executive Director, Fathers & Families
Ned Holstein, M.D., M.S.
Founder, Chairman of the Board, Fathers & Families |
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Kids & Dads |
Touching Father-Daughter Moment at Baseball Game (Video)
A touching father-daughter moment at the Phillies-Nationals game. Watch it here.
Dad Steve Monforto, who had made a real nice catch, later told NBC that he and daughter Emily often play catch at home and that her throw was natural instinct kicking in. He explained:
I think she was startled by the reaction of the fans around us — there was a collective gasp. She was also startled by the look on my face. I just wanted to let her know it was OK — that she didn't do anything wrong. |
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My dad passed away when I was 12...What I have found most interesting is as I have progressed in life was that my relationship with my dad grew stronger with every challenge.
The young tend to take the wisdom of those older for granted. But as I've grown older, especially in my professional life, I've met people that went to school with my dad, served with him on the battlefields of WWII, and...I have discovered things I never knew about my father...he has always guided me, he really has been my conscience.
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| —Chief Justice Richard Barajas, formerly of the Eight District Court of Appeals (El Paso, Texas) |
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F & F's Robert Franklin Discusses Shared Parenting Bill on Boston Radio