Real coercive control exists. Real domestic violence gets minimized. Children and abused parents need protection. But family court is already a furnace for false narratives, strategic accusations, and procedural ambushes. Add a broad, elastic category like coercive control, then apply a preponderance standard, and every bitter custody case becomes an abuse case with better branding. A spouse who refuses sex may be accused of control. A parent who limits money may be accused of economic abuse. A parent who questions gender ideology may be accused of “health-related abuse,” according to religious-policy critics. HB26-1309 needs precision, or it becomes a weapon.
Real coercive control exists. Real domestic violence gets minimized. Children and abused parents need protection. But family court is already a furnace for false narratives, strategic accusations, and procedural ambushes. Add a broad, elastic category like coercive control, then apply a preponderance standard, and every bitter custody case becomes an abuse case with better branding. A spouse who refuses sex may be accused of control. A parent who limits money may be accused of economic abuse. A parent who questions gender ideology may be accused of “health-related abuse,” according to religious-policy critics. HB26-1309 needs precision, or it becomes a weapon.