Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., will propose a constitutional amendment to establish the freedom of parents to raise and educate their children as a fundamental right.
“For too long, unelected bureaucrats and activist judges have trampled on the role of parents, treating them as obstacles, instead of the primary protectors and decision-makers for their children,” Miller told The Daily Signal. “That must end.”
“My Parental Rights Amendment will enshrine this truth in the United States Constitution, ensuring once and for all that parents, not the government, hold the ultimate authority and responsibility for the upbringing, education, and care of their children.”
The amendment would establish “the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children” as “a fundamental right.”
Miller’s joint resolution to amend the Constitution says a parent’s right to direct his or her child’s education includes the right to choose private, religious, or home schools as an alternative to public school. It also includes the right to make reasonable choices within public schools for one’s child.
“Neither the United States nor any State shall infringe these rights without demonstrating that its governmental interest as applied to the person is of the highest order and not otherwise served,” the proposed amendment says.