In this episode of 1819 News: The Podcast, host Bryan Dawson, CEO of 1819 News, sits down with Emily Jones, Director of Moms for Liberty Alabama, to discuss pressing issues in education, parental rights, and conservative activism in the state. Jones, who is also running for the Alabama State School Board against incumbent Wayne Reynolds, shares her passion for empowering parents and combating bureaucratic overreach.

The conversation kicks off with the recent medical age of consent legislation, which raised the threshold from 14 to 16 despite fierce opposition from medical associations and state health departments. Jones highlights hidden gems in the bill, effective Oct. 1, prohibiting schools from providing mental health counseling, suicide prevention, or bullying programs to children 16 and under without parental consent. This addresses loopholes allowing ideological indoctrination, such as LGBTQ-related discussions, and calls for urgent updates to state education standards by board members like Kelly Mooney and Alan Long.

Dawson and Jones then delve into the FOCUS Act, a new law banning cell phones and wireless devices in classrooms to enhance student focus and academic performance. Jones defends it against parental rights critiques, citing studies linking device access to rising anxiety, depression, and distractions. Drawing from Jonathan Haidt's The Coddling of the American Mind, she argues that removing screens for school hours benefits mental health and learning, while respecting family choices outside class.

Throughout, they emphasize building conservative coalitions to advance bold policies, celebrating wins like school choice despite imperfections, and urging parents to reclaim responsibility from government entities. Jones recounts Moms for Liberty events, including a successful fundraiser with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene amid protests, and stresses civic engagement amid Alabama's "red state" challenges.