SB 1082 (CA's military parents bill) has passed and enrolled!

I'm happy to report that SB 1082,

California's military parents bill,
has passed and enrolled!

Some bits from MensNewsDaily:

It’s an inhuman thought: When a soldier is sent to potentially face death in Iraq, an ex-spouse takes advantage of the situation to file suit for custody of the children, when they’re in no position to fight in court. But it happens all the time, according to Michael Robinson, a lobbyist on family court issues in California.

To date, Missouri has been the only state to pass a law to protect Reservists and Guard Members from child support arrears, as they go from high-paying civilian jobs to lower pay on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Legislation to protect troops from vindictive or greedy ex-spouses was introduced two years in a row in Illinois, failing both times. There is also legislation pending in New York that appears to be headed for defeat, and Michigan was denied having a bill even being introduced this year.

The bill Robinson helped shepherd, SB 1082, was authored by Senators Bill Morrow and Denise Ducheny, along with 28 co-authors from both houses.

In April 2004, Robinson worked with Stan Diorio, the former chief of staff for Assemblyman Rod Wright, to shop the concept of the legislation around the state capitol.

Robinson and other supporters of the legislation are troubled the problem isn’t being addressed in other parts of the country at the level it is in California.

“These men and women in our military are going into harm’s way to cover our backs and the least we can do is cover theirs,” Robinson says. “There is no danger for us to do so. For them, it’s their life at stake. We can’t let special interests get in the way, or allow politics to dictate or impede elected officials at all levels from doing the right thing. We have to act now, not later.”

read the entire article here

more info: militaryparents.org