Shared parenting laws have been gaining steam across the United States, with 86% of Americans supporting the arrangement, according to the National Parents Organization’s independent polling. This custody arrangement uses equal physical child custody and equal decision making as the starting point.

State-Level Progress

In 2018, Kentucky became the first state to presume that shared parenting is in a child’s best interest. The Bluegrass State’s shared parenting law roared into life despite no Democrat choosing to co-sponsor it and two liberal lawmakers voting against it. That fall, Kentucky citizens voted for every single candidate who showed more support for shared parenting than his or her opponent.

Since then, five more states have passed similar laws, primarily pushed by Republicans. For instance, all eleven of West Virginia’s 2022 shared parenting law sponsors were Republican, while 20 of the 22 nay votes were Democrats.

Shifting Party Dynamics

However, things are flipping. In April, Oklahoma’s shared parenting bill had 36 Senate sponsors, including all the Democrats. But Republican House floor leader, attorney Julie Daniels, refused to hear the bill, which then died. Just a few days ago, Louisiana passed shared parenting while all seven sponsors were Democrats. Not one Republican co-sponsored the bill, and the Republican governor, also an attorney, did not even sign it, allowing it to be enacted without his signature.

The change in Democrats’ stance may be due to the growing support among Hispanic and African-American communities. Perhaps it’s the overall equality aspect, which has historically been a focus of Democrats. The unexplainable part is the Republicans giving Democrats the opening. Shared parenting gives fathers fair treatment, which seems a natural Republican issue.

Shared parenting is good for everyone, no matter their party. Since its landmark law, Kentucky has seen total divorce filings decline and family court domestic violence cases in particular plummet. Its eleven exceptions to the shared parenting presumption have helped child maltreatment decline since the bill passed.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.