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Group Rallies For Fathers' Parental Rights At Capitol

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two days before Father's Day, a Minnesota group is pushing for parents -- specifically dads -- to have more parental rights.

The Fathers' Rights Movement of Minnesota formed a year and a half ago to help raise awareness. The group met outside the State Capitol Friday to discuss issues they say many fathers face.

The organization holds a rally every year on the Friday before Father's Day. Their goal is for more fathers to be allowed to be involved in their children's lives.

Organizers are expecting more than 100 people to attend, but only a handful of supporters made it out to the Capitol by noon Friday.

The group says the number isn't important, it's the message they want to resonate across the community. The members -- including mothers and grandparents -- are concerned about the children who get caught in the crossfire after a separation or a divorce.

"They're not a father that's the 'deadbeat' father, they're the father that wants to be there in their child's life," the group's founder Jason Smith said. "They want to be there as equally as the mother.

Brian Ulrich, a volunteer for the Center for Parental Responsibility, says progress was made this legislative session, but there is still a long way to go.

"We were able to bring forward 14 bills that really make some pretty significant changes in the area of family law," Ulrich said. "Eight of them having to do more with child support, but more importantly than that is the changes to the parenting time."

The group will now start working and preparing for the 2016 legislative session. The goal is to get a shared parenting bill introduced and passed.

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