WHY VOTE NO on Initiative IL26-001

Washingtonians respect and care for each other. We may not always agree, but we work together to protect our children from violence, hate, and harassment. Now a MAGA mega-donor is bankrolling two poorly written initiatives to remove common sense protections.

Initiative IL26-001 is a Washington state ballot measure that seeks to restore and solidify the "Parents' Bill of Rights" in public schools. It aims to overturn a 2025 legislative bill (HB 1296) that reduced parental access to school-based medical and mental health records.

·      Parents have the right to know what’s going on with their kids at school. But while most parents are loving and supportive, the sad reality is not all kids are safe at home. IL26-001 removes common sense school record protections for victims of child abuse. IL26-001 will force schools to hand over sensitive information about child abuse victims to their parental abusers.

·       IL26-001 worsens the teen mental health crisis. Youth depression is at record highs. More than half of teenagers experience anxiety or depression, and one in ten Washington state students say they have no one to turn to when feeling depressed. By removing common sense record protections, IL26-001 discourages students facing domestic violence, sexual abuse or bullying from seeking help from trusted school counselors, who would be required to release students’ confidential information. 

·       IL26-001 forces school counselors and teachers to knowingly put LGBTQ+ students at risk of harm or homelessness by requiring them to “out” LGBTQ+ kids to abusive families. We all want to keep kids safe and most parents know their children will come to them for help. But some kids live in homes that aren’t safe, and some LGBTQ+ kids know they will be kicked out of their homes, beaten, or worse.  According to researchers, 40% of LGBTQ+ homeless youth were kicked out of their home because of their identities. 

— Okanogan County Democrats Central Committee