West Virginia delegate Kayla Kessinger (R) argued against stripping rapists of parental rights to the children born of their criminal actions in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
KESSINGER: “Even car wrecks, require clear and convincing evidence. We're talking about parental rights, an essential right of Americans, of West Virginians and so we need to make sure that when we are taking, when we are talking about whether and when to sever parental rights we are doing that with an abundance of caution and providing as much direction as possible and so therefore Mr. Speaker I would urge adoption of the gentleman from the 29th Amendment and rejection of the gentlelady from the fourth’s amendment.”
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The gentleman from the 36th Delegate Rowe is recognized.
LARRY ROWE (D): Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I don't understand what the problem is. It's a simple statement that if the child was a product of rape or incest, then the parental rights of the man are to be terminated. There's nothing in the amendment that limits it to before the baby's born or after the baby's born, you know, it's just simply what the courts do.”
