HB307  vs  SB250 Down to the Wire!

Listen up and pay attention. Or even better DO something. THIS is how the adoption agencies and lawyers get these laws snuck past us and on the books. Laws that further erode the rights of natural families and create more unnecessary adoptees. Then we sit back and say “What? How did they do this?” but we just we not paying attention.

There are TWO bills pending right now in Ohio. HB307 and SB 250.

The Bad Unethical Ohio Adoption Bill HB307

I already wrote about this bill here: Ohio’s House Bill 307 Unethical and Ignorant of the Reality of the Tactics of Ohio Adoption Agencies

Bastard Nation’s Marley Greiner posted this AM on The Daily Bastardette about the very quiet hearing on HB307 that was held on Wednesday and how the goons squad tried to defend the bill.

I say “goon squad” with kindness as whose stupid face did I get to peer at as I read Marley’s piece but our own beloved Pat Hamilton – otherwise  known as the evil lawyer representing Adoption by Gentle Care. I think that the measure of character of the folks defending this bill speaks for itself. Ohio Adoption “reform” bill is so corrupt, so misleading, so detrimental of anything remotely preserving the rights of families  that only a professional liar could stand up and speak kindly of it.

Marley reports that Pat actually said “babies need closure.” I almost spit out my coffee on the computer screen and then had a coughing fit.  If it wasn’t so painfully ironic, it would almost be amusing. Babies don’t need closure. Babies do not know what the hell closure is. Babies NEED their mothers. A fact, that we well know based on Pat Hamilton’s’ defense of Adoption by Gentle Cares’ actions,  that seems to allude any sticking power to adhere to the brain capacity of Mr. Hamilton. I doubt he really cares about ANYTHING a baby needs except that babies power to create profit for him.

Better, but still not Best Ohio Adoption Bill SB205

Now Ohio SB250 looks to ALMOST be based on the same ideas as Ohio HB307 or perhaps it is the opposite way. And from what I have been told, only ONE of the bills can be passed. The Ohio legislative session is over in the next week, so they are on the move to make one of these into laws, so certainly Ohio SB250  is the lesser of two evils.

From comparing the two, what I can see:

How the Ohio Adoption “Reform” Bills are the Same

• Both call to decreases the time an adoption after finalization can be challenged in Ohio from one year to 60 days; I dislike this on both bills.
• Both call to increases the state tax credit to adopters from $1500 to $10,000 . I still find adoption tax credits to be unfair to begin with.
•  Both allow adoption agencies and lawyers to make  “birthparent living expense” payments   directly to providers rather than directly to “birthparents” to make their own payments. You know, because all birthmothers are such scammers and are really out to defraud HAPS and take their money.

How the Ohio Adoption “Reform” Bills are Different

Hopeful Adoptive Parents Save Money with Ohio SB250

Ohio SB250 says that any credit must be accounted for in the finial accounting AND specially states that IF a birthparents decides to parent AND the adoption is “failed” then the APs must be given a credit or refund for the pre-birth expenses paid.

Ohio HB307 makes NO mention of crediting the adoptive parents in any way of an adoption “fails”. In other words 307 is written in a way that favors the adoption agencies and attorneys OVER the adoptive parents for whom this bill looks to be “best” for. Yes, it makes adoption easier in some ways for HAPs, but by allowing agencies to be paid for expenses and NOT credited or refunded, then we are setting up adoptive parents to bleed money.

Adoption Advertising in Ohio Legal or a Criminal Act?

Huge difference here; Ohio HB307 authorizes potential Ohio adoptive parents who have passed a home study to advertise for newborns in the state and let’s women advertise for babies to adopt out. It’s free-willy Craigslist time and an adoption re-homer’s wet dream.  Ohio SB250 says NO to all advertisements AND makes it a reportable criminal charge if one does advertise!

How Bad Do You Want to Screw Over Fathers?

Both allow for pre-birth relinquishment for fathers and putative fathers. The consent can be revoked within 72 hours of the birth, but then is final.

• Ohio HB307 decreases the timeframe  from 30 days to 7 days after the birth of a baby in which a man can file with the already established Ohio Putative Registry  (PFR) to guarantee his right to notice if an adoption is filed
• Ohio SB250 leaves the 30 days in place.

In any case, if you give a flying fig about the rights of natural parents and do not want carte blanche to be given to the already troublesome practices of Ohio’s adoption agencies, then Please.. ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN OHIO go find an Ohio senator or representative and tell then so!

IMPORTANT UPDATE: AS of 12/4/ 14 happenings behind the scenes in OHIO:

Ohio SB250 will not be the lesser of two evils in this case. They’re looking to reconcile the two, and while the legislative vehicle will likely have the Ohio SB250 number, there’s been amendments proposed to make Ohio SB250 look more like Ohio HB307 with regard to content.

Actually, even worse with regard to the putative father stuff.  Please call and say you support NO CHANGE to the current registry system and NO PRE-BIRTH CONSENT for fathers and putative fathers.They’re considering making the pre birth consent piece irrevocable.

The amendments are moving so fast and I’m not sure what’s going to end up in the final iteration, so people should NOT say they support Ohio SB250 at all.

Anyway, things are moving really fast and changing really fast, so calls are good, but DO NOT  give support to Ohio SB250 when Ohio SB250 might end up being worst case scenario by next week.

And while you are there and got their ear, mention that Baby Camden still is NOT home!

You know what.. PLEASE call and use this as an opportunity to educated the Ohio legislators about the realities of adoption. They should NOT try to rush ANY bill through as this is important and require careful consideration and understanding; in which case it is BETTER if these bills get shelved and they can make 250 what it needs to be. And with that I personally would LIKE to see a NEW AMENDMENT in Ohio SB250 that reintroduces a revocation period for mothers AFTER they sign the relinquishment consent.  There.. if they want to actually “reform” adoption in Ohio.. then let father’s have 30 days.. given them a 72 hour revocation period after consent ( NOT birth) and give mothers the same. No advertising  and refunds for APs.

THERE!

Contact Senator Coley

Senate Building

1 Capitol Square, 1st Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-8072
Email Senator Coley

and here he is on FB; https://www.facebook.com/BillColeyOH