AL governor signs bill safeguarding parental rights
The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Matt Sharp, director of the ADF Center for Legislative Advocacy, regarding Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s signing Friday of HB 6, a bill that explicitly protects parents’ rights to raise and care for their children:
“Parents have a fundamental, constitutionally protected right to direct the upbringing of their children. With this legislation, Alabama has affirmed that parental rights are entitled to the highest level of protection from government interference just like every other fundamental right. As we continue to see instances nationwide of government officials actively seeking to replace parents as the ultimate determiners of what’s best for children, we commend Alabama for making it clear that parents’ decisions regarding the education and upbringing of their children must be respected. We’re grateful to Gov. Kay Ivey, Rep. Kenneth Paschal, and the Alabama Legislature for enacting this law and safeguarding parental rights in Alabama.”
Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.
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ABOUT Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is the director of the Center for Public Policy. In this role, he leads ADF's team of policy experts as they craft legislation and advise government officials on policies that promote free speech, religious freedom, parental rights, and the sanctity of human life. Since joining ADF in 2010, Sharp has authored federal and state legislation, regularly provides testimony and legal analysis on how proposed legislation will impact constitutional freedoms, and advises governors, legislators, and state and national policy organizations on the importance of laws and policies that protect First Amendment rights. He has twice testified before the U.S. Congress on the importance of protecting free speech and religious liberty in federal law. Sharp also authored an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of nearly 9,000 students, parents, and community members asking the court to uphold students’ right to privacy against government intrusion. Sharp earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. A member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee, he is also admitted to practice in several federal courts.