Congress passed drastic child welfare reforms that aim to reduce the removal of kids from their homes. But some worry they will cost states and harm children. By J.B. Wogan | Governing In February, Congress made a bipartisan deal that avoided a government shutdown and raised spending limits for defense and non-defense programs. The deal’s immediate budget implications grabbed most …
The Daily Beast Oklahoma’s Republican governor, Mary Fallin, has signed into law a bill allowing adoption and foster care agencies to reject prospective parents on “religious” and “moral” grounds—a move critics say legalizes discrimination against LGBT and non-Christian parents. The law, approved by lawmakers earlier this month, could affect any prospective parents to whom a child-welfare agency has religious objections, …
By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services The U.S. Supreme Court this morning rejected a bid by a Tucson woman arguing that gay marriages are not legally the same as others, at least when it comes to divorce. Without comment the justices rejected a bid by Kimberly McLaughlin to deny shared custody of her biological child with Suzan McLaughlin, who …
By Mary Jo Pitzl | The Republic The state could be at a crossroads, or cross-purposes, when it comes to dealing with children in families dealing with drug addiction. Over the past six months, state policies have pivoted to a more compassionate approach toward people with addiction issues. But a proposal at the state Legislature would put strict timeframes on …
By Ben Giles | Arizona Capitol Times A legislative effort to resolve disagreements over frozen embryos in the midst of divorce would strip away a couple’s right to choose whether to be mothers or fathers, infertility experts warn. Contracts currently determine what happens when genetic parents disagree over what to do with their frozen embryos. Couples sign agreements with fertility …
By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services A federal appeals court has given new legal protections for parents whose only “offense” is taking pictures of their babies’ butts. In an often strongly worded opinion, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said there is evidence that two Arizona child welfare workers violated the rights of a couple by …
By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times Saying biology matters, an Arizona woman is making a last-ditch effort to keep from being forced to share custody of her child with her former wife. Keith Berkshire, attorney for Kimberly McLaughlin, is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn last year’s ruling by Arizona’s high court, which concluded …
Rose Law Group Reporter For taxpayers who sign divorce agreements after December 31, 2018, alimony will no longer be deductible by the payor or taxable to the recipient. For existing agreements that are modified after that date, the parties may expressly choose to adopt this new rule. If they do not, alimony on agreements entered into before December 31, 2018, …
By Michael Alison Chandler | The Washington Post The every-other-weekend dad, born from two generations of soaring divorce rates, was once a conventional part of American culture. In recent years, more couples have been agreeing to parent after divorce as they did in marriage: collaboratively. Now lawmakers are accelerating this trend toward co-parenting, with legislatures in more than 20 states …
Can’t buy cigarettes and can’t get married By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times Saying 18 is plenty young enough, a Scottsdale lawmaker wants to repeal existing Arizona laws that allow children of any age to get married. The proposal by Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, would make it illegal for the clerk of superior courts in …