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Show I Garn fighting for families The jurisdiction of the family should be returned back home where it belongs, said Senator Jake Garn ( R-Utah) , who has joined an effort to halt government programs which undermine un-dermine the family unit. Garn is cosponsoring "The Family Protection Act," which would be the first major legislative attempt to return authority to the family in such areas as education, taxation, religion and domestic relations. Garn said there are-approximately are-approximately 1,000 government programs which tend to threaten the stability of the family unit. The bill, S.1378, was introduced by Sens. Robert Jepsen (R-Iowa) and Paul Laxalt (R-Nevada) (R-Nevada) and would help promote principles of family independence, personal responsibilty, individual liberty and economic growth," he said, "Cultural patterns and traditions in the state of Utah have placed Utahns among the most family-oriented family-oriented people in the world," Garn said. "There is a strong beljet that from a strong family unit stems a strong and well-governed society. Yet, in recent years, the federal government has promulgated rules and regulations which weaken the family in many ways. This trend must be stopped." The bill is based, Garn said, on the view that the federal government has to an extent invaded the privacy of the family unit and threatened the rights and responsibilities of parents ' for their children. Garn said some key provisions of the bill would allow parents whose children attend schools receiving federal tax dollars to participate in decisions regarding their child's enrollment in religion courses, to visit their child's classroom, and to review textbooks. Also, he said, the bill requires that state legislatures, rather than federal agencies, have primary authority over programs dealing with child abuse, spouse abuse, and juvenile delinquency. And, the bill would prohibit the use of federal funds lor mandatory busing for racial purposes; pur-poses; allow families to set up education accounts and parental care trust accounts. |