Citizen action group turns in over 420K signatures for initiative to restore parents’ rights in Washington State

According to the group, Initiative 2081 “…would allow parents and guardians of public-school children to review instructional materials and inspect student records, including health and disciplinary records, upon request. It would require public schools to provide parents and guardians with certain notifications, including about medical services given and when students are taken off campus; access to calendars and certain policies; and written notice and opportunities to opt students out of comprehensive sexual health education and answering certain surveys or assignments.”

Initiatives in Washington are required to gather 325,000 verified signatures to qualify for the ballot but the advocacy group collected 423,399 signatures.

The founder of Let’s Go Washington, Brian Heywood, told supporters of the initiative that it was “a step to re-establish in the state of Washington that parents are the primary stakeholder in the raising of children.”

Heywood added “Over the last 10 years, there’s been a series of laws that have begun to establish this sort of corrupt idea that somehow most parents are bad and the state is good – there’s only a few exceptions of good parents. And I would like to push back very strongly today and say the assumption must be – the assumption must be – that parents love their children, although there are exceptions, rather than the other way around.”

He specifically referenced controversial Senate Bill 5599, which critics say encourages minors to run away from home to receive "gender-affirming" care and "maternity services" without parental consent and at taxpayer expense.

Despite massive pushback, protests, and letter-writing campaigns, Washington Democratic Governor Jay Inslee signed the Democrat-supported legislation into law.

Heywood added, “I believe that the presumption should be that parents know how to love their children, know how to teach and guide their children better than any state government employee,” noting that current state law and I-2081 make exemptions for minors due to abuse.

According to The Center Square, if I-2081 has enough verified signatures, the Democratic-controlled Legislature can “…pass it during the upcoming legislative session; take no action and let it go to the ballot; or pass an alternative proposal, which would see both [I-2081] and the alternative proposal placed on the ballot at the next state general election.”

In November, Let’s Go Washington submitted over 400,000 signatures for Initiative 2117 to repeal Washington’s cap-and-trade system, which has spiked gas and utility prices.

The group is also scheduled to turn in signatures for Initiative 2113 to remove restrictions on police officers’ ability to engage in vehicular pursuits that were enacted by Washington Democrats and led to a spike in crime and stolen vehicles.

According to the organization, the three initiatives are part of a slate of six other initiatives to “Fix What’s Broken in Washington and be a voice for positive change in our beautiful state!”

The other initiatives seek to repeal a capital gains tax, prohibit a state income tax, and allow people to opt out of a long-term care tax.

Washington state Democrats are so scared of the initiatives reversing their legislative "wins" that they have teamed up with the American Civil Liberties Union to attempt to intimidate signature gatherers, from creating a “hotline to report signature gatherers” to calling the initiative efforts “...the MAGA GOP’s extreme ballot measures."