Backers of healthy marriage law say it's a way to improve society
Backers of healthy marriage law say it's a way to improve society
Web Posted: 07/01/2007 01:25 AM CDT
Polly Ross Hughes
Austin Bureau
AUSTIN — Marriage and family counselor Tim Louis believes a new law rewarding couples for taking prenuptial classes — and penalizing those who don't — has gotten an unfair rap from critics.
The law, House Bill 2685 by Rep. Warren Chisum, a conservative Republican from the Panhandle, prompted derisive comments from opponents who called it the worst sort of government intrusion.
It calls for couples who take an eight-hour "successful marriage" course approved by the state to get a free marriage license, with those who don't paying a doubled fee of $60.
The bill might be the most obvious example of government "nanny state" efforts to affect behavior, which traditionally have been associated with liberal Democrats. Other such laws, passed by the majority-Republican Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Rick Perry, take aim at such "deadly sins" as gluttony and sloth.
Louis and others likely to teach the marriage education classes argue that it's proper for government to nudge couples into instruction that could improve their lives and benefit potential children by decreasing the number of single-parent families.
"The exciting thing about this bill is it creates demand," said Louis, a senior vice president at Family Services of Greater Houston. "I suspect there will be a lot of interest in people offering this particular type of service where before there was no demand for it."
The government has an interest in promoting marriage and discouraging divorce, Louis and others say, because broken marriages often lead to poverty and greater reliance on social programs.
Michael Smalley, a clinical psychologist at Smalley Marriage and Family Center in The Woodlands, said government has long encouraged healthy behavior in other realms.
He points to "click it or ticket" seat belt campaigns, "no swimming" signs and anti-smoking efforts.
"Healthy marriage is a skill," he said. "If you don't have those skills, you're in trouble. Maybe you'll end up divorced."
That's the kind of talk that makes people such as Kathy Miller, director of the Texas Freedom Network, nervous about government's interest in private lives.
"The thing that might be overlooked here is, Texans want lawmakers to focus on issues like good public schools, good jobs, safe streets," she said. "They don't want the government dictating how they talk to their husbands and wives and how much they exercise. It really does start to look like a nanny state or a busybody state."
In June, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission sponsored a Healthy Marriages Summit for experts in marriage education in order to discuss how the new law will be implemented.
When the healthy marriage law takes effect in September, the commission will begin awarding $7.5 million in annual grants of up to $50,000 each to at least 150 marriage educators statewide.
Incentives and demerits tied to marriage license fees won't begin until September 2008 to give counties time to adjust.
The new law is an expansion of marriage education classes for Texans receiving welfare benefits that was part of a mammoth social services overhaul during the 2003 legislative session, said Arlene Wohlgemuth, a lobbyist for health-related clients who authored the restructuring measure as a state representative.
This year, she helped shepherd Chisum's marriage bill as part of her work at the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute.
Next legislative session, she said, conservatives will push for a bill to prolong divorce waiting periods unless couples take marriage crisis intervention classes. A similar proposal died in the Legislature this year.
"This is not a liberal versus conservative, Republican versus Democrat issue," she said. "The best way out of poverty and the best thing for kids is unquestionably a two-parent family."
She said marriage education that focuses on conflict resolution and communications skills helps couples navigate tough times without falling into crisis counseling or separation.
Several advocates of the classes point to testimony by psychologist Smalley that cited success stories, including a study at the University of Denver on a well-known marriage education method known as PREP. It showed that couples taking the class, in a five-year follow-up, had a 12 percent breakup rate, versus 36 percent for those who didn't.
Without grant aid, counselors say such classes could run from $150 on the low end to $1,000 for a resort-style weekend retreat.
Classes receiving government grants could be run by marital counselors or churches, although coursework containing "religious content" won't be eligible for government funds, said Maggie Russell, director of family ministries at Northside Christian Church in Spring.
Churches, traditional providers of premarital counseling, likely will continue free services for faith-based approaches. Because these classes usually contain lessons in conflict resolution and communication, couples taking them probably will qualify for free marriage licenses, Russell said.
Government eye on private lives
The 80th session of the Legislature passed new laws governing private lives:
• House Bill 2685 — Rewards couples taking prenuptial healthy marriage classes and penalizes those who don't.
• Senate Bill 10 — Prescribes healthy behavior incentives for poor Texans on Medicaid.
• House Bill 1297 — Directs new approaches to encourage wellness through exercise, smoking cessation and more for state employees.
• Senate Bill 530 — Requires physical education for schoolchildren and records measuring their fitness.
Source: Texas Legislature
Portions © 2007 KENS 5 and the San Antonio Express-News.
All rights reserved.
Web Posted: 07/01/2007 01:25 AM CDT
Polly Ross Hughes
Austin Bureau
AUSTIN — Marriage and family counselor Tim Louis believes a new law rewarding couples for taking prenuptial classes — and penalizing those who don't — has gotten an unfair rap from critics.
The law, House Bill 2685 by Rep. Warren Chisum, a conservative Republican from the Panhandle, prompted derisive comments from opponents who called it the worst sort of government intrusion.
It calls for couples who take an eight-hour "successful marriage" course approved by the state to get a free marriage license, with those who don't paying a doubled fee of $60.
The bill might be the most obvious example of government "nanny state" efforts to affect behavior, which traditionally have been associated with liberal Democrats. Other such laws, passed by the majority-Republican Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Rick Perry, take aim at such "deadly sins" as gluttony and sloth.
Louis and others likely to teach the marriage education classes argue that it's proper for government to nudge couples into instruction that could improve their lives and benefit potential children by decreasing the number of single-parent families.
"The exciting thing about this bill is it creates demand," said Louis, a senior vice president at Family Services of Greater Houston. "I suspect there will be a lot of interest in people offering this particular type of service where before there was no demand for it."
The government has an interest in promoting marriage and discouraging divorce, Louis and others say, because broken marriages often lead to poverty and greater reliance on social programs.
Michael Smalley, a clinical psychologist at Smalley Marriage and Family Center in The Woodlands, said government has long encouraged healthy behavior in other realms.
He points to "click it or ticket" seat belt campaigns, "no swimming" signs and anti-smoking efforts.
"Healthy marriage is a skill," he said. "If you don't have those skills, you're in trouble. Maybe you'll end up divorced."
That's the kind of talk that makes people such as Kathy Miller, director of the Texas Freedom Network, nervous about government's interest in private lives.
"The thing that might be overlooked here is, Texans want lawmakers to focus on issues like good public schools, good jobs, safe streets," she said. "They don't want the government dictating how they talk to their husbands and wives and how much they exercise. It really does start to look like a nanny state or a busybody state."
In June, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission sponsored a Healthy Marriages Summit for experts in marriage education in order to discuss how the new law will be implemented.
When the healthy marriage law takes effect in September, the commission will begin awarding $7.5 million in annual grants of up to $50,000 each to at least 150 marriage educators statewide.
Incentives and demerits tied to marriage license fees won't begin until September 2008 to give counties time to adjust.
The new law is an expansion of marriage education classes for Texans receiving welfare benefits that was part of a mammoth social services overhaul during the 2003 legislative session, said Arlene Wohlgemuth, a lobbyist for health-related clients who authored the restructuring measure as a state representative.
This year, she helped shepherd Chisum's marriage bill as part of her work at the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute.
Next legislative session, she said, conservatives will push for a bill to prolong divorce waiting periods unless couples take marriage crisis intervention classes. A similar proposal died in the Legislature this year.
"This is not a liberal versus conservative, Republican versus Democrat issue," she said. "The best way out of poverty and the best thing for kids is unquestionably a two-parent family."
She said marriage education that focuses on conflict resolution and communications skills helps couples navigate tough times without falling into crisis counseling or separation.
Several advocates of the classes point to testimony by psychologist Smalley that cited success stories, including a study at the University of Denver on a well-known marriage education method known as PREP. It showed that couples taking the class, in a five-year follow-up, had a 12 percent breakup rate, versus 36 percent for those who didn't.
Without grant aid, counselors say such classes could run from $150 on the low end to $1,000 for a resort-style weekend retreat.
Classes receiving government grants could be run by marital counselors or churches, although coursework containing "religious content" won't be eligible for government funds, said Maggie Russell, director of family ministries at Northside Christian Church in Spring.
Churches, traditional providers of premarital counseling, likely will continue free services for faith-based approaches. Because these classes usually contain lessons in conflict resolution and communication, couples taking them probably will qualify for free marriage licenses, Russell said.
Government eye on private lives
The 80th session of the Legislature passed new laws governing private lives:
• House Bill 2685 — Rewards couples taking prenuptial healthy marriage classes and penalizes those who don't.
• Senate Bill 10 — Prescribes healthy behavior incentives for poor Texans on Medicaid.
• House Bill 1297 — Directs new approaches to encourage wellness through exercise, smoking cessation and more for state employees.
• Senate Bill 530 — Requires physical education for schoolchildren and records measuring their fitness.
Source: Texas Legislature
Portions © 2007 KENS 5 and the San Antonio Express-News.
All rights reserved.
posted by Walking Contradiction at 7/02/2007 12:21:00 AM
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