BAY MINETTE — Grandparents across the state are pushing for a law that will allow them to visit their grandchildren.

The proposed law, known as the Grandparents Bill, is Rep. Harry Shiver’s main focus during the current session of the Alabama Legislature.

“That’s my No. 1 goal — to get that bill passed to help grandparents,” he said.

The Alabama House of Representatives passed a similar bill during the last legislative session, but former Gov. Bob Riley vetoed it because of wording.

The bill allows grandparents to seek visitation rights with their grandchildren, even if the parent related to the grandparents abandons the children or loses parental rights.

Shiver, R-Bay Minette, said grandparents do not have any rights in Alabama to visit their grandchildren whose parents don’t want them to see them.

“What my bill is going to do is give grandparents who have an established relationship with their grandchildren the right to go back and revisit the courts to get permission to see their grandchildren.”

Shiver said the grandfather of two Alabama children whose remains were discovered in wooded areas near Vancleave in coastal Mississippi last December is now a supporter of the Grandparents Bill.

“Investigators said two little kids were killed with antifreeze,” Shiver said. “The granddad is still searching for ways to help other grandparents.”

Imogene Hadley, a grandmother from Lottie, has been through a situation where she could not see her grandchildren.

“I didn't see my grandchildren for several years because there were no rights for grandparents,” she said.

“The mother of the children had been in a car accident and was paralyzed. The children were given to the stepfather, and we were petitioning for them to be in custody of their biological father.”

She said children should be able to see their grandparents on a regular basis.

“It should be on a regular basis even if it’s supervised so the grandparents can keep up with the children.”

Shivers is also supporting coastal insurance reform.

He said residents of Baldwin County are being charged enormous wind premiums from hurricanes and other storms.

“We have a lot of hard-working people who pay the bills and barely get by,” Shiver said.

“If we don’t do something,” he said, people will move away “because they won’t be able to purchase the wind insurance.”

The legislative session started March 1.