Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
For Immediate Release: May 13, 2009
Sen. Dan Newberry
Senate Urges Rejection of United Nations Convention on the Rights
of the Child
The state Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution
urging the United States Senate to reject the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child.
Sen. Dan
Newberry, Senate author of House Concurrent Resolution 1033,
said the U.S. government should work to strengthen the rights
of parents, rather than adopting international treaties that could
weaken the foundation of the family.
“It could possibly supercede our laws regarding our children
and families,” said Newberry, R-Tulsa. “In my opinion,
it carries the potential to erode the foundation of the family
and the sovereignty of our laws. We cannot allow an international
body to set forth any kind of edict that may limit the rights
of parents to raise their children as they see fit.”
Newberry noted that under Article VI of the U.S. Constitution,
treaties that are ratified by the U.S. Senate become a part of
the “supreme law of the land” and that state laws
and constitutions are subservient to such treaties. Newberry added
that the U.S. Government should be opposed to any such treaty
that could limit sovereignty.
“The treaty could potentially give the government the right
to override reasonable decisions made by parents concerning the
upbringing of their children,” Newberry said. “We
need to preserve our ability to determine our own laws, and we
need to preserve the core principle of self-government.”
For more information contact:
Sen. Newberry's Office - 405-521-5600
