On Tuesday, nearly 70% of Texas voters approved Proposition 15, a state constitutional amendment granting parents the right to exercise care, custody, and control of decisions concerning their own kids upbringing.Though the proposition passed, critics call the new amendments language vague and worry that it could actually erode parental rights or even forbid the state from intervening in cases of child abuse. Related Greg Abbotts anti-trans order has helped destroy Texas child abuse agency The ballot measures lead sponsor, Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes, said the amendment is necessary because of changing judicial standards.[Even though] over the last 100 years, federal case law has outlined specific areas in which parents have a constitutionally protected right to make decisions for their children, he said, Rights found in case law can change and disappear over time with the appointment of new judges. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Placing the rights of parents in the Texas constitution would ensure the longevity of these rights for future generations, he said, according to The Center SquareThe Parental Rights Foundation and the Texas Home School Coalition both supported Proposition 15. These parents rights organizations echo right-wing rhetoric about how parents should have the right to prevent their children from being exposed to controversial topics and instead learn pro-family values, respectively. Often, these rhetorical terms refer to any LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum or policies that anti-LGBTQ+ parents may object to.However, the conservative group Accountability Matters said the new amendments vague and broad language could open it to misinterpretation and misuse.Accountability Matters says that the amendments phrases about care, custody and control and decisions concerning the childs upbringing create ambiguity that courts or state agencies could exploit. For example, the amendments mention about protecting a childs upbringing could favor specific cultural or ideological norms of acceptable parenting, child rearing, and child well-being that could result in state government agents restricting parents who make unconventional choices, thereby undermining parental rights that already exist in federal and state laws, the group said. [The amendment] risks undermining parental liberty by introducing ambiguous terms that would invite state overreach, ideological bias, and unnecessary litigation, the group said in a statement. San Antonio Express-News opposed the new amendment, calling it performative and noting that theres no threat to existing parental rights in the state. If passed, this proposition will do nothing to enhance parental rights, and it fails to acknowledge that children also have rights, the publication wrote. Its wording is so vague that it could mean that in suspected cases of abuse or neglect, the parents rights would supersede the states right to intervene to protect the child.This proposition is unnecessary and written in language that lacks clarity, fails to make exceptions, and has the potential for unintended consequences that could be harmful to children, the publication added. While the Parental Rights Foundation asserts that Short of actual physical harm by abuse or neglect, it is the parents role to make decisions concerning the childs upbringing, the amendment contains no limits that would prevent a judge from using it to allow abuse or neglect.In fact, Texas own Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) have muddied the concept by claiming that gender-affirming care (GAC) for trans children is a form of child abuse. State child protective service workers have said that Abbott and Paxtons crusade against GAC has interfered with their ability to help victims of actual abuse by causing unethical secrecy, intradepartmental strife, and staff resignations.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.