Grandparents bill passes through the House
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana soon could see reunions of estranged grandparents and their grandchildren.
Grandparents who have been denied visitation rights to their grandchildren, by their children, have been given support by a bill that will allow them to petition courts to let them see their grandchildren.
Rep. Vanessa Summers, D-Indianapolis, co-author of House Bill 1055, said she believes the bill will "loosen the judges' hands."
"We're not always talking about a family that has a bad mother or father. There may just be an estrangement. But what it did was to open up the ability for the judge to make that decision," said Summers.
While the bill brings grandparents and grandchildren together, some believe it will only hurt the parents' right to make their family's decisions.
"I really believe in a parent's right to their family. The parent/child relationship is the main fabric," said House Minority Leader Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis. "Now we're saying, in an intact family, a grandparent can come in and ask for their own rights."
Along with taking away parents' rights, others are fearful that this bill could be one of many to start the slide down a slippery slope.
"As for me, I don't want the courts to micromanage families. In some places, Ann Landers can handle families better than the courts," said Rep. Ralph Foley, R-Martinsville .
Foley believes once grandparents and great-grandparents are granted rights, it will expand and start to extend to others in the family, and everyone will be seeking rights, which will overrun the courts.
"They'll be taking time, energy, and money from the family," said Foley.
Rep. Russ Stilwell, D-Boonville, co-author of the bill, knows that the bill may affect those areas, but it also will do good.
"I believe in parental rights," said Stilwell. "This is the best we can do with situations that don't work. I just can't get perfect. I think it's as good as you can get it."
The bill passed on third reading, 63-33, in the Indiana House of Representatives.
