Bastard Nation: the Adoptee Rights Organization
www.bastards.org      614-372-5535      @bastardsunite
BASTARD NATION ACTION ALERT
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 February 22, 2019
West Virginia adoptees need your help today

Please contact the West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee today!

DO NOT PASS SB300

Amend or Kill

SB300, a restrictive OBC access bill, is currently in the West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee. As of this writing, it is not scheduled for a hearing, but we urge that you write the committee to let members know that the bill, which grants OBC access for some of the state’s adoptees, but not all, is discriminatory and not acceptable.

If you are a West Virginia adoptee or have a West Virginia connection, be sure to mention it.

SB300
HB2313 companion (currently in the House Human Services Committee—no action at this time)

Objections

• Contains an educational requirement for OBC access: To be eligible to receive the OBC the adoptee must be at least 18 years of age, have graduated from high school, completed the GED, or legally withdrawn from secondary school.
• Contains corrupt Contact Preference Form (CPF):   CPF that enables the state to redact first parent identification information upon request of a first parent

Talking Points

• There is no evidence in any state that records were sealed to “protect” the reputation or “privacy” of biological parents who relinquished children for adoption. On the contrary, records were sealed to protect the reputations of minor adoptees and to protect adoptive families from birthparent interference.
• Laws change constantly, and the state, lawyers, social workers, and others were never in a position to promise anonymity in adoption. In the over 40 years of the adoptee equality battle, not one document has been submitted anywhere that promises or guarantees sealed records and an anonymity “right” to birthparents.
• Identifying information about surrendering parents often appears in court documents given to adoptive parents who can at any point give that information to the adopted person. (In some states adoptive parents, at the time of the adoption order, can petition the court to keep the record open.) The names of surrendering parents are published in legal ads. Courts can open “sealed records” for “good cause.” Critically, the OBC is sealed at the time of adoption finalization, not surrender. If a child is not adopted, the record is never sealed. If a child is adopted, but the adoption is overturned or disrupted, the OBC is unsealed.
• There is no state interest in keeping original birth certificates sealed from adult adoptees to which they pertain. Nor does the state have a right or duty to mediate and oversee the personal relationships of adults.

The Internet, social media, and inexpensive DNA testing makes anonymity in adoption virtually impossible.

Senate Judiciary Committee

NOTE

• It is important that Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Charles Trump here from us all.
• Due to the state-wide teacher strike, the West Virginia Legislature is quite busy. We understand we are more likely to receive a response if we contact through email.

Senators

• Charles Trump–Chair ( 304) 357-7980
• Ryan Weld–Co-Chair  (304) 357-7984
• Mike Azinger   (304) 357-7970
• Bob Beach   (304) 357-7919
• Stephen Baldwin  (304) 357-7959
• Greg Boso   (304) 357-7973
• Charles Clements  (304) 357-7827
• Sue Cline  (304) 357-7807
• Paul Hardesty  (304) 357-7857
• Glenn Jeffries  (304) 357-7866
• Richard Lindsay   (304) 357-7841
• Mark Maynard   (304) 357-7808
• Mike Romano   (304) 357-7904
• Patricia Rucker   (304) 357-7957
• Randy Smith  (304) 357-7995
• Tom Takubo  (304) 357-7995
• Mike Woelfel   (304) 357-7956

Quick Cut and Paste:  

mike.azinger@wvsenate.gov
bob.beach@wvsenate.gov
greg.boso@wvsenate.gov
charles.clements@wvsenate.gov
sue.cline@wvsenate.gov
paul.hardesty@wvsenate.gov
william.ihlenfeld@wvsenate.gov
glenn.jeffries@wvsenate.gov
richard.lindsay@wvsenate.gov
Mark.Maynard@wvsenate.gov
mike.romano@wvsenate.gov
patricia.rucker@wvsenate.gov
randy.smith@wvsenate.gov
tom.takubo@wvsenate.gov
charles.trump@wvsenate.gov
ryan.weld@wvsenate.gov
mike.woelfel@wvsenate.gov

Tweets

@Mike_Azinger @SenatorBobBeach @gregboso Equal treatment for all WV adoptees. Vote No or Amend SB300 to cover all adoptees. OBCs for all adoptees, not just some.

@cline2 @GlennJeffriesWV @rlindsaywv8   Equal treatment for all WV adoptees. Vote No or Amend SB300 to cover all adoptees. OBCs for all adoptees, not just some.

@markrmaynard @RuckerforWV @DrTomTakubo Vote No or Amend SB300 to cover all adoptees. OBCs for all adoptees, not just some.