Tears mark hearing about grandparents' rights
INDIANAPOLIS-- Bedford native Jerry Meadows – “G.G.” to his grandchildren -- liked to take them on lawn tractor rides and hold their hands while walking through his garden. Meadows’ voice broke as he talked about his grandchildren as he testified before the Indiana Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of a bill that would establish grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ visitation rights. Meadows said his relationship with his grandchildren was so close that they started to beg to stay at his house. Things changed. Meadows said that his child and the child’s spouse stopped bringing the grandchildren by, for reasons he couldn’t fathom. He started seeing less and less of his grandchildren, and started hearing more and more excuses. His 3-year-old granddaughter started blaming herself, asking him every time she had to leave, "What did I do? What did I do?" The bill establishes the factors to be considered when determining what's in the best interest of the child. If the grandparent had meaningful contact with their grandchildren, and then it is broken because of an estrangement with their child, the court will look to see what is in the best interest for the grandchild.
Other grandparents joined Meadows in supporting Senate Bill 59.
Carmen Elliott described shopping at Wal-Mart and getting excited about seeing her 3-year-old granddaughter at the store. Before Elliott could say hello, the little girl’s mother covered her with coat and marched her out of the store
Elliott says she wants to "break the circle of anger and dysfunction that came into our family; it doesn't need to carry over to” the granddaughter.
The committee voted unanimously for SB 59.
As in the case of Nancey Maegerlein of Williams, her son started abusing drugs and became emotionally abusive towards his children, which she would not tolerate.
"The result was 'if you cannot see us, you cannot see your granddaughter,'" said Maegerlein.
Maegerlein hasn't seen her granddaughter in more than five years because her son has refused to let his daughter visit her. She believes "keeping the core family together is critical" but that grandparents are key in that endeavor.
Sen. Brent Steele, R-Bedford, said he has been concerned about this issue since 1994.
"Those kids we were worried about are now adults," said Steele. "There's a new wave of grandparents that have this concern."
Steele sees this as a "generation where a grandparent could do the raising" and wants to see visitation given to the grandparent where needed.
Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, envisions this bill bringing more than just grandparents and grandchildren together, but a "positive unintended consequence."
"First object is mediation, bringing in a third party," said Randolph.
Randolph wants resolutions between the grandparents and the parents, not just something to get a quick fix.
SB 59 now moves to the full Senate for consideration.
