Sacramento, CA – A controversial bill known as the SAFETY Act is being fast-tracked through California’s legislature, raising serious concerns about parental rights, student privacy, and the growing influence of state control in education.

Proponents argue that the bill is necessary to modernize safety protocols in schools, providing real-time data collection and intervention strategies to protect students. However, critics fear this is just the latest attempt to erode parental oversight and grant the government unchecked access to student records.

According to leaked internal documents, the SAFETY Act may also expand the role of third-party agencies in monitoring classroom behavior and social media activity. Civil liberties advocates have raised alarms over the potential misuse of this data, warning that it could be weaponized to silence dissent or label students based on ideological leanings.

State officials insist that such fears are overblown, stating that the bill merely seeks to create a standardized framework for student safety and intervention programs. "The SAFETY Act is about protecting children, not undermining parental rights," said Assembly Member Linda Torres. "We are simply providing schools with better tools to detect warning signs before they escalate into tragedies."

Despite these assurances, opposition continues to grow. Parental rights groups and privacy watchdogs have launched a legal challenge against the bill, arguing that it violates the Fourth Amendment by enabling mass data collection without parental consent. Meanwhile, a viral online petition opposing the SAFETY Act has already garnered over 500,000 signatures.

With the debate intensifying, Governor Gavin Newsom has called an emergency roundtable discussion to address the concerns. Legislators remain divided, and with a vote expected in the coming weeks, the outcome remains uncertain.