PHOENIX: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have made the state’s sex education laws some of the strictest in the nation when it comes to teaching about LGBTQ issues.
The governor called the legislation overly broad and vague and said it would lead to unintended consequences. He also said he was concerned a ban on sex education before 5th grade could put vulnerable children at risk by limiting sexual abuse prevention education.
At the same time, the Republican issued an executive order adopting some of the transparency portions of the measure.
The proposed law, Senate Bill 145 6, would have barred all discussions about gender identity, sexual orientation or HIV/AIDS in sex education classes unless parents are notified in advance and specifically opt in for the instruction.
The proposal applied outside of sex ed classes as well, requiring parents to agree to have their children learn about historical events such as a discussion of the modern gay rights movement that sprang from the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York.
It also banned any sex ed classes before 5th grade, which opponents have said will put young students who now learn about good touch-bad touch to avoid molestation at greater risk.
Social conservative groups that backed the measure call it a needed parental rights issue, arguing that parents deserve to know and approve of what their children are taught in school. Arizona currently allows parents to review all learning material and already requires an opt-in for sex ed classes.
The state’s top elected schools official, Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, praised the governor for the veto.
Ducey made the right decision by vetoing SB1456 and I want to thank him for standing up to bigotry and intolerance, Hoffman said in a tweet. All students are welcome in Arizonas public schools and todays veto reaffirms that.
The bill passed the Republican-controlled Legislation over unified opposition from Democrats, who called it dangerous for LGBTQ students who are already marginalized. They also said it put young children who would no longer be taught how to avoid molesters at risk.
Ducey’s executive order requires schools to post sex ed curricula online and to provide extensive notice of school board meetings where sex ed is to be discussed. Those were parts of the proposed law.
Arizona is and will remain a national leader in parental rights, Ducey said in a statement. Too often, parents are left out of this process, and the importance is even greater when it comes to educating students about deeply personal matters like sex education.”
He said the executive order will ensure parents are fully informed.
The legislation came two years after the Republican governor signed a repeal of a 1991 law banning HIV/AIDS instruction that promotes a homosexual lifestyle.” That bill emerged as the state faced a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law that the Republican attorney general and Democratic schools chief refused to fight.
Arizona is among several Republican-led states where lawmakers considered similar changes to sex education this year.
Moving to give parents more control over what their children may be taught about LGBTQ issues is new. It comes amid other efforts pushing back on social changes, including legislation in some states to ban transgender athletes from competing on school teams of their identified sex, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights group that tracks such legislation.
Arizona is one of five states that already require parents’ permission before children can attend sex education classes, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The new proposal would essentially require a double opt-in for HIV/AIDS instruction that addresses sexual orientation or gender identity. Additional permission would be needed for LGBTQ discussions in any other class.
Idaho legislation also would require notifications and opt-ins, including for discussion of sexual orientation outside of sex education classes. It has passed the House and awaits Senate action.
Lawmakers in Tennessee enacted a measure the governor pledged to sign and the Missouri Legislature is considering one that would require parents to be notified before instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity but would exclude historical references.
In Montana, the Legislature passed a bill earlier this month initially aimed at requiring parents to opt in to sex education. But the legislation was changed after criticism from education groups. It now allows parents to opt their children out of sex ed and awaits action by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte.
Advocates for comprehensive sex education say such legislation can have far-reaching negative effects under the guise of parental rights by limiting fact-based education that young people need to stay safe.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
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