Legislative Advocacy

State Level

Thorne is active in various state legislative initiatives to improve state family law.  As opportunities present themselves, Thorne will present testimony on family law reform issues to various state legislatures.  Some examples of Thorne’s work in this area are as follows.

On 14 January 2008 Thorne appeared in support of a joint parenting act, H.B 4042, introduced in the West Virginia House at the request of Men and Women Against Discrimination.  Thorne was on a panel of experts available to answer questions from legislators after they attended a luncheon and viewed excerpts from the documentary film: “Support: System Down” at the West Virginia Cultural Center State Theater.

In fall 2008, Thorne presented testimony to a legislative committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives about the Constitutional imperatives for “peer” or shared parenting.

Also in fall 2008, Thorne assisted in drafting legislation to be introduced in the Tennessee legislature to implement “peer” or shared parenting.

On 6 December 2006 Thorne’s testimony on Michigan’s shared parenting bill, H.B. 5267 (Mortimer), was presented to the Michigan House.

On 26 October 2006 he testified before the Study Committee on Shared Parenting of the Georgia House.

Federal Level

Thorne is actively promoting federal legislation to protect and preserve family relationships from unwarranted intrusion by state actors.  To this end, he strongly supports the Family Preservation and Reconciliation Act (FPRA) which will be introduced in the United States Congress.

Plans are in place for a press conference and rally in support of FPRA to be repeated when the FPRA is considered by the U.S. Congress.  At the appropriate time, Thorne will present both written and verbal testimony to the appropriate House and Senate Committees in support of the Family Preservation and Reconciliation Act.

On 19 August 2007 Thorne was an invited speaker at the first annual Family Preservation Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., at the base of the Lincoln Memorial.  Thorne called for federal legislation to address the Constitutional crisis in America’s family courts and called on the President, the U.S. Congress, and the state and federal courts to support the Family Preservation and Reconciliation Act.  DVDs of Thorne’s one-minute news report about the 2007 Family Preservation Festival, and Thorne’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial in support of the FPRA, are available upon request.

On 16 August 2007, Thorne expressed his strong support for the FPRA as an invited speaker at a press conference at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C.