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A well-known preacher in California, Jack Hibbs, told his thousands of congregants to “pack up and get out” of the state if lawmakers pass a bill that would allow nearly any adult to take charge of a child without alerting parents.
“If this bill passes, I am going to ask you to leave the state of California,” Hibbs said over the weekend. “You’re gonna need to pack up and get out; you gotta get out. You gotta run with your kids. You gotta go.”
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Hibbs is no stranger to bold declarations, even admitting in 2024 he broke the law by transparently encouraging churchgoers at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills to vote Republican. Now he’s speaking out against Assembly Bill 495, which was approved by the Assembly and is now awaiting review from the state’s Senate Appropriations Committee before being considered for a floor vote.
Supporters of the controversial bill see it as a necessary response to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration. In a “fact sheet” about the proposal, Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez (D) argued the bill “protects children in immigrant and mixed-status families by ensuring emergency contact information and plans for family safety are up-to-date in the event immigration enforcement impacts children at schools and licensed childcare facilities.”
The goal, proponents have claimed, is to ward off disruptions in a child’s education or care if a parent suddenly becomes unavailable due to deportation or detention.
But that is not at all how opponents view the proposed law, which would allow non-related adults who either have an extended “familial” connection or a “mentoring relationship” with the child to gain legal authority over the child with a single affidavit that does not require parental consent.
The affidavit requires would-be caregivers to indicate they have either “advised the parent(s) or other person(s) having legal custody of the minor of my intent to authorize medical care, and have received no objection” or were “unable to contact the parent(s) or other person(s) having legal custody of the minor at this time, to notify them of my intended authorization.”
In the “notices” section of the affidavit, it does state, “This declaration does not affect the rights of the minor’s parents or legal guardian regarding the care, custody, and control of the minor, and does not mean that the caregiver has legal custody of the minor.” However, it also states in several places that “a parent’s signature or a seal or signature from a court is not required.”
Hibbs warned AB 495 would empower the “caregiver” to make critical medical decisions for the child, including authorizing vaccinations or physical examinations. He cited the text of the bill, which states any “caregiver” who “signs the affidavit shall have the same rights to authorize medical care and dental care for the minor that are given to guardians.”
Laws like this, he said, have come about because Christians have not been politically active.
Referencing Matthew 12:43-45, Hibbs told his congregants, “Here we are. Evil always fills a void or vacancy. Jesus said that.”
Hibbs, the leader of an organization called Real Impact, went on to urge churchgoers to take Aug. 19 off from work to attend a rally at the state capitol in Sacramento, where, he said, he’s hoping at least 5,000 opponents will show up.
“We want to make a statement because AB 495, 100% strips parents of their parental rights,” said the pastor. “[W]e will let it continue — or we will make some noise. I am going to ask you to stand for righteousness and do the right thing.”
The California Senate Appropriations Committee is set for a hearing on the bill on Aug. 18.
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