Thanks for supporting shared parenting in Missouri

With the passage and signing of SB 35, equal shared parenting will become the presumption after divorce or separation. It will now be assumed that fit and willing parents will get equal time with their children. Children and families will benefit greatly with this change.

Children do not have to feel abandoned by one parent and extended family. The original family is just rearranged, not eliminated. This change will create an environment where a costly custody fight is not automatically necessary and eliminates the winner-take-all approach. What a monumental shift in our family court system!

It took a tremendous effort to get shared parenting across the finish line this session. Of course, 2023 bill sponsors Reps. Adam Schnelting and Jim Murphy and Sens. Karla May and Rick Brattin have my gratitude for standing strong on this issue.

Leadership in the House was amazing as well. Speaker Dean Plocher, Assistant Floor Leader Jamie Burger and Floor Leader Jonathan Patterson all deserve immense thanks in the House, and Senate Floor Leader Cindy O'Laughlin, a strong supporter, worked with senators who had concerns.

Senate and House Judiciary Committee chairs and members quickly got these bills through the committee process and truly represented the children and families of Missouri.

My former State Rep. Kathy Swan and former State Sen. Wayne Wallingford carried this legislation for several years and did a great job of educating other legislators on this issue. Rep. Jim Neely was one of the first legislators I met and was so welcoming and helpful. He sponsored a family court reform bill in 2016. Without these three at the beginning, this grandmother might have been convinced to go home. They took the time to understand how shared parenting post-divorce helps lower crime, drug addiction and delinquency.

I also want to thank all the people and organizations who have been advocating for shared parenting for many years. Each shared parenting group has brought more recognition of this issue to the general public.

Our Missouri advocates have each played a part to the best of their ability: many trips to Jefferson City, many calls to legislators, testifying at hearings, hosting events and making social media posts.

Very sincere thanks to Elizabeth Lauber and Richard McIntosh on my team. They went above and beyond to focus on the mission, and I truly believe they were the game changer!

Special thanks to the real pioneers of this shared parenting movement, who tirelessly worked without financial compensation and often received derogatory comments from our opponents for more than 20 years. Ned Holstein and Don Hubin with National Parents Organization, Thomas Fidler with The Fathers Rights Movement, Mollie Olson with Center for Parental Responsibility and co-founder with Terry Brennan of Leading Women for Shared Parenting are my heroes. Every step these pioneers took inched every state closer to this moment. I have only been in this fight for nine years, and so I honor these titans in the movement. Missouri's success owes a lot to them.

Also, I want to thank the researchers, too many to mention, who have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt what common sense tells us all, that equal shared parenting is the best scenario for children of divorce or separation. Children need and want equal access to both parents and extended families.

A final shout out to National Parents Organization's Matt Hale and Kentucky advocates, because we built on your success. Arkansas and West Virginia followed quickly behind Kentucky. Florida joined Missouri in passing equal shared parenting this year also. I hope our success will help other states as well.

Shared parenting must be the norm across this country. Shared parenting is best for children, best for parents and best for society.

Linda Reutzel, of Cape Girardeau, is chair of the Missouri chapter of National Parents Organization.