“Voters give Kentucky’s new shared parenting law an A plus”

Guest Column from Matt Hale, National Parents Organization Board of Directors Member

Kentucky Republicans had to defend their control of the House for the first time in one hundred years in the face of massive teacher strikes. When Kentucky passed the teacher pension law, it also enacted the nation’s first ever shared parenting law (equal parenting time for fit parents). The teacher strikes failed to make much difference while the lower profile child custody law issue emerged as a potential national issue. House Majority Whip Kevin Bratcher said, “Kentucky’s shared parenting law is so popular and effective that it will spread to other states.”

Kentucky’s voters statewide gave the shared parenting law an A Plus. There was a direct correlation between winning percentage of contested races and lawmakers’ support of the bill. Of the contested House races, 100% of the sponsors won, 90% of those who voted yes won, 80% of those who did not vote won and 0% of those who voted no won. In fact, every sponsor of the bill running won despite 14 seats changing parties