This afternoon, Asmb. Fiona Ma issued a letter listing her new and improved amendments she’ll offer to the alleged records access AB 372 pimped by the California Adoption Reform Effort aka Adjunct Ma for Assembly Fundraisers. (see previous entry). The new bill form has not been printed yet so we can’t check it for accuracy. Asmb. Ma informs us however, that the new and improved AB 372 will include the following humiliations, insults, and assaults on bastard rights and autonomy. NuAB 372 will: -Amend the Health and Safety Code section 102705 to require the courts to release the original birth certificate contingent upon the finding of a serious medical condition requiring familiar information. -Starting Jan 1, 2010 and going backward, the state shall open the original unamended birth certificate in an “Informational Only Copy” form to an adult adoptee age 25 or older if all of the following conditions are met: 1 -A certified, return receipt letter is sent to the best-match address of the biological parent notifying them of the change in law and allowing them to keep their record confidential by signing an enclosed form and returning to the Department of Health. 2 -A period of six-months from Continue Reading →

I’ve been tied up with some pretty time-consuming tasks lately and am way behind in my writing here. It is with great pleasure, however, that I take a moment to accept BB Church’s invitation to jump out of CARE’s “celebration” cake and skunk-juice our unworthy opponents. CARE, (California Adoption Reform Effort) you see, is now running a borderline pay-to-play scheme with AB 1372 sponsor Assb. Fiona Ma. BB Church, who has more street creds than aggregate CARE could get in 35 years of street walking, explains how this thinly disguised fundraiser, billed as a “celebration of the Honorable Assemblywoman Fiona Ma” operates: If you read it very carefully you’ll note that C.A.R.E. is not actually hosting this shindig, “individual members of the California Adoption Reform Effort” are. Note that C.A.R.E.’s name is highlighted. This gives the impression that this is a C.A.R.E. sponsored “celebration” although the actual text denies it… ( I used to do this sort of dodge all the time with endorsement lists, put somebody’s name and affiliation with an asterisk next to it, with a tiny note at the bottom informing people that the organization is noted for “identification purposes only”, ha!) Note that this “celebration” is Continue Reading →

I don’t have a lot of time today, but wanted to get this out. More thoughts later. Wednesday, amendments to placeholder AB 372 were introduced by sponsor Asmb. Fiona Ma. The amended version is now online. CARE has also issued a memo, dated March 26, discussing the updates. The amended bill is clean but has problems. According to the CARE memo, CARE and the California Association of Adoption Attorneys (CAAA), which (surprise!) opposes access, met with Asmb. Ma on March 24 to hash out changes which now includes a pushback to 25, the age at which adoptees can receive their original birth certificates. It also includes a contact preference form, and an extensive medical questionnaire. How and why this age qualification developed is a mystery. I believe, however, it is related to the 1984 “birthparent” disclosure veto as well as young adult “reunification” concerns amongst paternalistic “child welfare” professionals who feel a dubious need to monitor their former charges and to protect them from reuniting with allegedly dysfunctional families at a legal, but “too early”age. Neither issues should concern the right of adopted adults to their own birth certificates, but apparently they concern the Professional Adoption Class, California Division. CARE Continue Reading →