First Wives Advocacy Group – Florida Alimony & Custody Laws is urging Governor DeSantis to veto a bill that changes the way Florida judges settle custody and alimony cases.
The grassroots moms' group, which advocates for divorced Florida mothers, warns that SB 1796 would harm children by weakening mothers' rights to protect them. They fear the previously-vetoed legislation would expose battered spouses and their children to further abuse and danger.
Among other measures, the bill would place a greater burden of proof of danger on parents seeking more than 50/50 custody.
"At a time when Governor DeSantis is preserving the rights of Florida parents & families and protecting children, this bill is dangerously flawed," FWAG spokeswoman Jan Killilea remarks. "This is the same bill former Florida Governor and current US Senator Rick Scott vetoed not once but twice."
Killilea says it's especially chilling that the bill has been pushed by California men's rights activist and author of "The Boy Crisis," Warren Farrell, who told interviewer Philip Noble:
"Incest is like a magnifying glass. In some circumstances it magnifies the beauty of the relationship, and in others it magnifies the trauma."
"When I get my most glowing positive cases, 6 out of 200," says Farrell, "the incest is part of the family's open, sensual style of life, wherein sex is an outgrowth of warmth and affection. It is more likely that the father has good sex with his wife, and his wife is likely to know and approve - and in one or two cases to join in."
[Penthouse, December 1977, Incest: The Last Taboo, by Philip Noble https://www.newgon.net/wiki/Text_of_Incest:_The_Last_Taboo]
Florida Representative Jenna Persons Mulicka praised Farrell in a Tweet on 3/31/22@jenn_persons, stating:
"This great piece outlines the research supporting 50/50 shared custody for best outcomes after divorce & the benefits of FLs SB 1796 to combat the Fatherhood Crisis. Thank you @drwarrenfarrell for your work to support our children!"
Killilea responds, "From what we've uncovered of Farrell, he certainly doesn't mirror any kind of legitimate researcher with the best interests of mothers and children in mind."
During the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, Farrell ran as a Democrat candidate on a platform of fathers' rights and received 626 votes.
"Why has Florida Speaker of the House, Chris Sprowls teamed up with this individual?" Killilea asks. "He's not an MD. He has a political science degree. He's never proven 50/50 timesharing is best for children. Yet his opinion is being imposed onto Florida families for reasons nobody has been clear on."
According to a conservative estimate by experts, more than 58,000 children a year are ordered into unsupervised contact with physically or sexually abusive parents following divorce in the United States. This is over twice the yearly rate of new cases of
childhood cancer. [How Many Children Are Court Ordered into Unsupervised Contact With An Abusive Parent After Divorce? http://leadershipcouncil.org/1/med/PR3.html September 22, 2008]
Killilea states, "Not all parents and children are the same, and children's needs are not always met by equal parenting. The standard of proof in civil court is preponderance of the evidence. Imposition of a "clear and convincing" proof standard to rebut 50/50 presumption would create an extremely high burden for domestic abuse victims trying to protect children from an abusive ex-partner."
Moms' rights advocates point to Pensacola mother Cassie Carli's recent murder during a custody exchange as a tragic reminder that mandating 50/50 timesharing could be dangerous for the protective parent.
Ft. Lauderdale mother Allison Kessler, parent of 4 yr. old Greyson Kessler who was killed by his own father, stated, "I fully believe his father should not have had 50% custody." [Oct. 12, 2021 WPLG Local10 News - Madeleine Wright, Reporter]
"Disguised as a civil rights initiative, this bill is another insidious attack to destroy the American family from within our very own Florida Legislature," Killilea says. "It's also clearly in opposition to the express principles of the Republican Party platform. It's out of step with Governor DeSantis' agenda of protecting Florida's children and families."
"Today we appeal as mothers from across the state of Florida for Governor DeSantis to Veto SB 1796."
Jan Killilea, Advocate
First Wives Advocacy Group - Florida Alimony & Child Custody Laws