As early voting kicked o this week for the November 4 election, Texans are facing a ballot packed with 17 constitutional amendments. Most grab headlines for their promises of tax cuts or shiny new state funds, but tucked in at Proposition 15 is a seemingly harmless pitch: “The constitutional amendment airming that parents are the primary decision makers for their children.” It sounds like a win for moms and dads everywhere – who doesn’t want to protect family freedoms? But dig deeper, and this measure reveals itself as a classic bait-and-switch that could erode the very rights it claims to champion.
At first glance, Prop 15 feels like a love letter to parents, but the flowery ballot wording hides a dangerous hook. The ballot language is short and sweet, focusing only on the upside: affirming parents as the “primary decision makers.” However, it doesn’t mention the dangerous flip side. That’s where the actual amendment text – the “switch” – comes in. If passed, Prop 15 would add a new amendment to the Texas Constitution. Here’s the full language from SJR 34, straight from the legislative record:
“To enshrine truths that are deeply rooted in this nation’s history and traditions, the people of Texas hereby affirm that a parent has the responsibility to nurture and custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing.”
Notice the words in bold? “Nurture” and “protect” aren’t just feel-good phrases – they’re legal landmines. The Texas Constitution is the highest law in the state, and once this is etched in stone, courts will have to interpret what these vague terms really mean. Does “protect” mean vaccinating your child against covid? What if “nurture” gets twisted to require state-approved gender-affirming care, or to question why you’re homeschooling?
And how about keeping firearms in the home for self-defense – is that failing to “protect” in a judge’s eyes? These aren’t wild hypotheticals; they’re a slippery slope. The amendment isn’t expanding rights – it’s tying them to state-defined duties. Your God-given authority as a parent? It morphs into a privilege, revocable if a bureaucrat or activist judge decides you’re not checking the “nurture” box. Look at Scripture – Deuteronomy 6:4-8, the book our Founding Fathers quoted more than any other, places the job of raising children squarely on parents, not the government. There are no references in Scripture where government is charged with deciding what is in the best interest of a child.
Or take John Locke, the second most quoted author by our founders after the Bible, who called parental rights “inalienable” – straight from God, not a government handout. In his essay titled Two Treaties of Government, he states, “The power, then, that parents have over their children arises from the duty which is incumbent on them, to take care of their offspring during the imperfect state of childhood.” Why gamble with a constitutional change that could flip this truth on its head?
The amendment language is frankly weak. The second amendment uses language like, “shall not be infringed”. Why not be as strong on parental rights with this amendment and hy the hat tip to government oversight? Texans would never accept such language incorporated into the second amendment to protect gun rights, so why shouldn’t they expect the same protection for perhaps the most valuable right of all, parental rights.
Why not simply add, “Parental rights shall not be infringed”? Some argue that such language could permit child abuse or other crimes against children. But notice that the second amendment doesn’t carve out government exceptions for murder or assault with a gun. It’s inappropriate and doesn’t need to since these are crimes that are handled outside of the declaration of an absolute right.
Texas families deserve better than deception by omission. If you’re a parent wrestling with school choices, medical decisions, or just raising children your way, pause before marking “yes” on Prop 15. We’ve got solid laws protecting us already; this amendment puts those protections at risk.
Vote NO on Proposition 15 to keep parenting an absolute God-given right.
Early voting ends October 31 and election day is November 4.
Grayson County Conservatives 