State Assembly members approved a bill for parental visitation amendment that seeks to especially protect mothers
State lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment in order to protect parental rights to children’s visitation.
Assembly members Juan Manuel Molina and Dunnia Montserrat Murillo introduced a bill to also amend the Penal Code, the Civil Code, and the Judiciary Branch Organic Law in order to protect children’s rights.
The lawmakers said some parents forbid non-custodial parents and other relatives from visiting their children just for retaliation.
According to the legislators, although Baja California has advanced in the development of policy to protect children’s relationships with parents, state law had loopholes that have not allowed authorities from stopping this type of conduct.
Molina said separating children from non-custodial parents in an unjustified manner mainly impacts mothers whose legal proceedings are being delayed by judges, law enforcement, and other public agencies.
The only restrictions to the constitutional amendment would be ruled by a judge, the bill says.
The bill needs to be approved by a majority of the seven city councils before its enactment.
City forbids narcocorridos
The City of Mexicali and three concert organizers signed an agreement to forbid narcocorrido bands from performing at the Center of Fairs and Expos, or FEX in Spanish.
Mexicali Mayor Norma Bustamante, who weeks ago publicly expressed her opposition to playing music that highlights drug culture, said those acts were admitted while now former FEX Director Omar Landa held the office.
The city could have either cancelled those concerts or have the agreement signed, La Cronica newspaper said.
According to the mayor, given about two fifths of tickets were already sold the concerts could not be canceled.
“We decided to speak with two businessmen and decided to sign the agreement,” the Mayor told the newspaper.
The accord is expected to include a clause to forbid weed and alcohol consumption at the FEX.
Concert businessmen signed the agreement as bands have songs different from narcocorridos or those that promote violence.
The mayor said the city can turn lights off or put concerts to an end in case of agreement violations.
According to the mayor, the strategy seeks to forbid bands in the future from performing such songs at city premises.
“This is an experiment to see how it works,” Mayor Bustamante said. “If (those bands do not comply with agreement terms) I will change the strategy.”
According to the mayor, two bands approached the city to hold concerts at the FEX. While the agreements have been shown to promoters the mayor plans to hear some of their songs before allowing their acts.
Te puede interesar: Assembly approves water rate increase
