Washington State Legislature Proposes to Classify Conservative, Pro-family Activism as Domestic Violent Extremism
While several pro-family states around the country are busy passing legislation protecting kids from drag shows or the teaching of critical race theory in schools, Washington state is headed in the opposite direction. With the introduction of HB 133 recently, the state legislature – which leans left – is on its way to classifying advocacy for such protection as “domestic violent extremism.” Literally.
Make no mistake – Christian parents are in the crosshairs of this bill in The Evergreen State.
While the bill establishes a commission to create “a comprehensive public health and community-based framework for responding to domestic violent extremism,” a recent state House committee meeting revealed the agenda behind the bill is to first classify, and ultimately punish, conservative speech opposed to the Left’s agenda.
The bill sounds fairly innocent, of course. The commission’s duties include such high-minded things as:
Identifying community-led and evidence-based solutions to combat disinformation and misinformation, address early signs of radicalization, and develop public health-style responses.
Ah, the terribly dangerous “disinformation” and “misinformation” problem, which used to be known as free speech.
When the federal government was caught attempting to deal with “disinformation” and “misinformation” on a national level, it was publicly embarrassed into abandoning the effort. Americans seem to implicitly understand all too clearly the danger of a government trying to establish a “Ministry of Truth.”
But will Washington state citizens understand that it’s happening again, and this time in their state?
The federal government also started to get involved in investigating concerned parents appearing at school board meetings around the country, until the effort was exposed, and 14 states sued the federal government over it.
Apparently, Washington state legislators believe the national concern over government agencies investigating parents will not be shared by the parents of their state.
There was a public hearing on February 15 in a Washington state House committee regarding the bill, and Rebel News reported that testimony from the state’s attorney general’s office as well as the left-leaning Anti-Defamation League provided examples of “right-wing extremism” that would qualify as “domestic terrorism” under the bill.
Those “extreme” positions, according to the news outlet, include such things as being anti-mask, anti-vaccine, anti-critical race theory, questioning election results, and using the term “groomers” when speaking about things like drag shows with LGBT performers.
The commission will be comprised of four legislators, a representative from the governor’s office, a representative from the attorney general’s office, someone with expertise in public health, and six representatives that represent various minority communities, including LGBT.
In addition, the commission is required to invite participation from the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and a representative from a federally recognized tribe.
The commission is also authorized to “solicit participation and feedback from nonmember groups and individuals with relevant experience.” Think left-leaning organizations such as the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center that have a clear bias on these issues against parents trying to protect their children.
The handwriting is on the wall, and the news isn’t good for Christian conservatives, including the Mama Bear Movement.
Once the commission is established, how far down the road will we get before we see parents, concerned about their children’s upbringing, getting condemned for “domestic violent extremism?”
You don’t have to be George Orwell to predict the future for wrong-thinking Washington parents if this bill becomes law.
HB 133, which passed the committee vote along party lines, will now move to the floor of the House.
Related:
What’s Happening in Schools? Why We Need Educational Freedom
Virginia Parents Sue School Board for Teaching Racism at School
Fourteen States Sue Administration for Targeting Parents as ‘Domestic Terrorists’
Assistant Principal Forced Out for Objecting to CRT Training Sues School Board
Professor – Fired for Opposing CRT – Sues North Carolina School for Discrimination
BACK TO SCHOOL FOR PARENTS – a busy parent’s guide to what’s happening in your children’s classrooms and practical steps you can take to protect them.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bruce Hausknecht, J.D., is an attorney who serves as Focus on the Family’s judicial analyst. He is responsible for research and analysis of legal and judicial issues related to Christians and the institution of the family, including First Amendment freedom of religion and free speech issues, judicial activism, marriage, homosexuality and pro-life matters. He also tracks legislation and laws affecting these issues. Prior to joining Focus in 2004, Hausknecht practiced law for 17 years in construction litigation and as an associate general counsel for a large ministry in Virginia. He was also an associate pastor at a church in Colorado Springs for seven years, primarily in worship music ministry. Hausknecht has provided legal analysis and commentary for top media outlets including CNN, ABC News, NBC News, CBS Radio, The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe and BBC radio. He’s also a regular contributor to The Daily Citizen. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Illinois and his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. Hausknecht has been married since 1981 and has three adult children, as well as three adorable grandkids. In his free time, Hausknecht loves getting creative with his camera and capturing stunning photographs of his adopted state of Colorado.