This past week has been very exciting for progress in finally changing the adoption laws in the state of Utah regarding unwed father's rights. Although, HB308 didn't ultimately fix every problem with the current law, it was a great step to show the legislative that there is major problem with the current law. On Monday, the committee over HB308 decided to put a hold on the bill until Thursday to give more time to research some questions that were brought up.
On Thursday, the courtroom was full of emotional testimony and truly showed the major flaws that are currently in the adoption laws. I will be posting videos of testimony from David Hardy, Jenny Graham, Dan Deuel, Lisa Harris, Donna Pope, and a few others.
The committee voted 5-3 that this bill needs to be put on hold until the Summer to get more of the major kinks worked out. They saw the great need for reform and wanted to get it right, not just put a bill into place that wouldn't truly solve the problem at hand.
Although, this bill was a step in the right direction it ultimately still did not take fraud out of the law. We have been working with Wes Hutchins, President of the Utah Adoption Council, as well as the sponsor of this bill Christine Watkins of Price, to suggest ways we can make this bill truly effective to protect father's rights.
Wes Hutchins, an adoptive father, and an adoption attorney, has become a strong advocate for us in helping get the laws changed. He will be on the radio on Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 9:00 AM on radio station KCPW, NPR 88.3 FM, 105.3 FM. He will be talking about the bill, adoption reform, the ruling on the Robert Manzanares Case, etc. Please tune in or call in to discuss this topic.
Thank you again for all of your support. We are making a difference!
My name is Wes Hutchins. I am delighted to see that we are beginning to have a more unified front in getting the laws changed in Utah. Frankly, I will go to my grave and beyond if necessary to do everything in my power to see that this atrocity does not happen to more birth fathers. My girls' elementary school has a motto: "Together We Are More." That is certainly true of us being united in this battle. Communication will be the key. I invite all to send me any questions, comments, or concerns to my email at wes@thehutchinslawfirm.com. Or can also become friends to me on facebook, under Wesley D. Hutchins, and under my facebook grougs, including Birthfathers United, and Adoption is An Option. I am very pro-adoption, I just happen to believe that they should be done in a non-fraudulent, fair, and constitutional manner. Imagine that! One thing I could use some help on, among others, does anyone remember a news article that came out and referenced a national adoption expert, who has even written a book on all the states' adoption laws and commented that Utah laws are the most anti-birth father? It is out there, I read the article probably a year or more ago, but I have not been able to find it. Many, many thanks to you all, and may we all continue to be dedicated to making these critical changes in Utah law!!!
ReplyDeleteCould you possibly be thinking of Adam Pertman? I believe he was mentioned in an article about the Baby Emma case. He wrote a book called Adoption Nation and is director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute.
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