I couldn't make this crap up if I tried....Who's Your Daddy???

[RubyDuby in GA]

Bill seeks to fill in paternity blanks

By ANNA VARELA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/26/05
If a state lawmaker gets his way, unmarried women who give birth in Georgia will face a question from hospital staff: Who's the daddy?

Rep. Ben Bridges (R-Cleveland) on Tuesday introduced the Baby's Right to Know Act, which would require hospitals to ask the question. Bridges said his goal is to give children access to their full medical history by identifying the biological father and getting his name on the birth certificate. It would not legally require the new mother to name the man.

"This law does not punish the mother. It simply states that the hospital is required to ask who the father is," Bridges said of House Bill 4. "My main reason is a child gets up later in years and they go for a physical and the doctor asks for their family history and it might be crucial to know that family history."

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/legis05/0105/26legbaby.html


Forget that there's a war going on out there, just continue to legislate every aspect of our lives please. Assholes. Complete and utter assholes.

[BR_Parkway]

1. Actually, it's to make sure they can collect child support and not have

the state pay for the child through any of the welfare programs. RayGun's mental picture of "welfare cheats cranking out more babies" so they can get rich off the taxpayer is still alive and well in Freeperland.

[CottonBear]

2. My god. We are ruled by the Taliban.

I can't believe how we went from a progressive Southern state to a right-wing dictatorship in just a few years.

[RubyDuby in GA]

5. Yep

I want to have a child next year. I am not married, nor do I want to be. I made a decision when I was barely old enough to know about such things that I didn't want to have any kids until I was old enough and secure enough (then only meaning financially) to take care of it on my own if I had to be alone.

Now I see that I was wise beyond my years. I am finally at that point - I am financially secure, I own my own home and I am happy with who I am and I think I would be a good mother.

Now some jackass who doesn't know me or know anything about me or my life wants to tell me that he's looking out for any child I could have. I call bullshit.

[unblock]

3. i don't see them being concerned about adopted children

who often go through their entire lives not knowing any medical history of either biological parent.

[lazarus]

4. Jesus, people

Most states already have both parents listed on the birth certificate; the article clearly states the mother wouldn't be legally required to name the father.

Let's not overreact because it's a Republican pushing it.

[On the Road]

6. I Tend to Agree

I'm more concerned about the mentality that resulted in this particular law than about the law itself.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RubyDuby in GA]

7. This is another instance of the brand new Republican majority

drunk with power.

This is in addition to the new "hawks" that can sweep in and join any committee they want and vote however they see fit (i.e. - the now minority Democrats will never win another vote on crucial issues).

It's not about helping people. It's about controlling them.

[CottonBear]

8. They also want a 24 hour wait for abortions,

they want to make it mandatory to wait 6 months before getting divorced, the Secretary of Education (Kathy Cox) wants to promote creationism,and there are multiple lawsuits regarding the display of the 10 Commandments in public buildings. Not to mention the Cobb County evolution sticker lawsuits. It's the whole agenda pushed by WHITE REPUBLICAN MALE legislators with the backing of white, conservative Christians and some conservative black churches, that's the issue. Georgia used to be progressive. Now it is regressing.

edit: sp.

[lazarus]

10. And those are totally different issues

From saying that the mother should simply be asked who the baby's father is, with no legal requirement on her.

As for the WHITE REPUBLICAN MALE comment, I'm 2 out of 3. Does that mean I'm not allowed to speak, either?

[RubyDuby in GA]

11. No comment on you're being allowed to comment

Just want to point out that the State of Georgia Republican Party published it's legislative agenda before this session began and one of it's main goals is to basically end any type of reproductive freedom in this state. This is just one phase of a plan. They are also trying to make it more difficult to obtain divorces.

As I said before, they're not trying to legislate for the good of the people, they're trying to control us.

[lazarus]

12. Yes, but

We don't need to fly off the handle at every slight proposal. Pick and choose your fights, as it were.

[RubyDuby in GA]

13. That's the problem

No one is fighting anything here. No opposition to anything. You want to tear down the capitol and put up a statue of a giant elephant with Zell riding on it's back - ok. They've rolled over.

No one's saying much about this bill here because the GOP is keeping it quiet, which is a pretty good indication that somethings not quite right. Look into all the little provision and amendments that will be tacked onto it. And as I said yesterday, these people aren't concerned with these poor little fatherless children being given access to the medical records, they are concerned with taking the steps to remove choice from a woman.

They don't have a track record of compassion. I don't believe they grew a soul overnight. I still call bullshit on them.

[Boredtodeath]

14. Did you read the legislation?

If the mother is not married at either the time of conception or at the time of birth, the name of the putative father shall not be entered on the certificate of birth without the written consent of the mother and the person to be named as father the institution or other party, as applicable, shall request that the mother identify the name of the child́s father, which name shall be entered on the certificate of birth, if given, and identified as unconfirmed. If the mother indicates that the fatheŕs name is unknown the birth certificate shall so indicate. The name of the putative father and his address, if available, shall be recorded on a notification form which together with the birth certificate shall be filed in accordance with subsection (a) of this Code section.

(B) Upon receipt of a birth certificate and notification form, the local registrar shall forward the notification form to the county health department which shall attempt to locate the putative father. The county health department may seek the assistance of the county sheriff or local police department in its attempt to locate the putative father.

(C) If the county health department is able to contact the putative father, he shall be notified of his rights and responsibilities regarding the identified child. The putative father may either admit or deny paternity. If paternity is denied, the putative father shall be asked to submit to a DNA blood test to establish paternity. The cost of the paternity test shall be borne by the putative father if the test establishes paternity or, if the test fails to establish paternity, by the mother or the state, if the mother is indigent.

(D) The county health department shall notify the local registrar of the results of the paternity test. Upon receipt of a positive paternity test result the registrar shall remove the unconfirmed notation on the birth certificate. Upon receipt of a negative paternity test result the registrar shall remove the name of the putative father and replace it with the word 'unknown.'

(E) The county health department shall inform the mother of the result of each paternity test. Upon positive identification of the father an amended birth certificate shall be provided to the mother by the registrar;

(3) In any case in which paternity of a child is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, the name of the father and the surname of the child shall be entered on the certificate of birth in accordance with the finding and order of the court;

(4) If the father is not named on the certificate of birth, no other information about the father shall be entered on the certificate; or

(5) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, in all other cases, the surname of the child shall be the legal surname of the mother at the time of the birth entered on the certificate as designated by the mother. When a paternity acknowledgment is completed, the surname of the child shall be entered as designated by both parents.

(f) The birth certificate of a child born to a married woman as a result of artificial insemination, with consent of her husband, shall be completed in accordance with the provisions of subsection (e) of this Code section. The birth certificate of a child born to an unmarried woman as a result of artificial insemination shall have placed on the birth certificate in the space where the fatheŕs name would be entered the words 'artificial insemination.
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/versions/hb4_LC_33_0515_pf_2.htm

[MGKrebs]

15. The precedent.

SB3, the tort reform bill, passed the Judiciary Committee. There were three meetings. The bill was revised the night before the final meeting and the vote was taken with little time to review the changes. Senators were not allowed to offer amendments to the bill. Two Senators walked out in protest.

Watch that "Conservative's Right to Know" bill closely. We KNOW what they are doing. They are incrementally trying to only allow babies to married heterosexual couples by identifying all those who do not fit that catagory.

[napi21]

16. I've read all the posts here, and I think you're missing the point!

What's wrong with listing the name of the baby's father? 'Cause he doesn't want to pay child support? Or doens't want to accept responsibility for his few minutes of fun?

I'm a strong believer in responsbile sex. If you want to play, take the necessary precautions to prevent unwanted pregnancy! If you didn't, the mother and the child has to pay the price. SO SHOUlD THE FATHER!

I don't care what party proposed the idea that he should. They're right!

[MGKrebs]

17. Let me try.

You are trying to connect the MOTHER not wanting to put the fathers name on the birth certificate with the FATHER not wanting to pay child support?

If the mother doesn't want the father listed, she IS taking responsibility. She presumably is giving up the right to collect child support.

The medical question seems valid on the surface, but then again, how many of us have access to medical records of family members? How often is it helpful to have? And if we do think it is valid for that information to be available, perhaps there is a way "code" it, so that it remains anonymous unless and until it is needed.

Are these identities required for adoption purposes?

Is there going to be some kind of verification process? What's to prevent women from saying "John Smith"?

Advances in genetics seem likely to make this kind of recordkeeping obsolete soon anyway.

The bottom line is that this is a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist. It is just another step in the conservative rights continuing attempts to compel their concept of the right way to live.

This is about lesbian mothers having babies with anonymous fathers, with single women choosing to become mothers on their own, and with artificial insemination.