House Judiciary advances Senate Bill 143 after hours of mixed testimony; committee votes 9-3

Senator Brown presented Senate Bill 143 to the House Judiciary Committee, saying the measure would "rightsiz[e] the ship in respect to parental rights" by applying the strict-scrutiny standard when a governmental entity substantially burdens parental decision-making. The committee heard several hours of testimony from parents, medical and legal advocates, civil-rights groups, and advocacy organizations before passing the bill as amended by a 9-3 roll-call vote.

SB 143, as described at the hearing, would recognize parental decision-making about a child's upbringing, education, health care and religious instruction as a fundamental right and would require government actors to justify substantial burdens on that right by showing a compelling governmental interest and narrowly tailoring their actions. The bill's supporters said it creates a state statutory cause of action that mirrors federal constitutional standards so parents may challenge government actions in Indiana courts. Opponents said the bill is overly broad, risks overriding minors' privacy interests,…