Lawmakers Compromise On Sex Ed Bill, Opt-In Requirement

Lawmakers are working to finalize a controversial sex education bill before the final deadline of the 2018 legislative session this week. Supporters say the measure gives parents more power over their child’s learning.

The original bill required parental permission for schools to teach sex education, so schools would only be allowed to teach the material to kids whose parents approve of the content. But changes made in recent weeks, mean if a parent fails to respond to consent requests from the school, their child can be included in sex education classes anyway.

The bill’s author, Sen. Dennis Kruse (R-Auburn), says he wanted to work in committee with members to align the final bill with the original version, but he’s changed his mind as the final deadline of the session approaches, he says, to keep the bill alive.

“The House version did have a lot of good positives to it and they made some good changes, and so I had to resign myself to get something rather than nothing,” Kruse says.

Schools currently allow parents to opt their child out of sex education classes. The Senate will vote on the final version of the bill on during its last meeting of the year.