SB 121 – State Education Standards for the Health Curriculum
The push to envelop Ohio in the national Health Standards is getting stronger. Although 19 witnesses testified last week against SB 121, the sponsors (Senators Stephanie Kunze (R) and Vernon Sykes (D)) are seeking to offer amendments to “appease” those who see these standards as opeing the door for pro-abortion curriculum and instruction in the classroom. Also, in meeting with the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee Chairman Rep. Don Jones, I learned that a meeting between the sponsors of SB 121 and of House Bill 165 (the House version of the Health Standards Mandate) is being planned to “harmonize” the two versions of the initiative, likely to expedite passage once one of them (most likely SB 121) can be voted through the chamber it is now in. ACTION: Please call your legislators (both House and Senate) to oppose both of these bills. Respectfully let them know Ohio already has standards in law for Health Education and the bills are unnecessary and may open the door to pro-abortion forces having greater access to our schools.
From Friday 5 – November 8, 2019
The hearing on Senate Bill 121/to establish State Education Standards for the Health Curriculum, for opponents was held this week. Nineteen witnesses filed testimony in opposition to SB 121 introduced by Republican Stephanie Kunze of Columbus and Democrat Vernon Sykes of Akron. After extensive testimony, the Chair of the Senate Education Committee (Senator Peggy Lehner) indicated that they will be looking for ways to amend the bill to try to “address” concerns of the opponents. It would seem that the only way to accommodate those concerns is to pull this bill and move to direct local school districts to follow the existing statutes (and there are a large number of them) regarding teaching Health Education!
From Friday 5 – November 1, 2019
A hearing has been scheduled for next Tuesday morning on Senate Bill 121, the bill to mandate Ohio adopt health education standards. These would be based on national models, which incorporate anti-life, anti-family, pro-LGBT materials. The hearing is for opponents and interested parties (please let me know if you can attend or submit testimony). The sponsors, Senators Stephanie Kunze and Vernon Sykes, appeared before the Ohio State Board of Education last week to try to get the board to vote to endorse a bill that would mandate their adopting these standards. The board has wisely decided to hold off until their November board meeting on deciding their position on the bill.
From Friday 5 – October 25, 2019
Another bill that can be of great concern regarding what is taught in Ohio schools is Senate Bill 121, This bill, co-sponsored by Republican Stephanie Kunze of Columbus and Democrat Vernon Sykes of Akron, would require Ohio to adopt standards in Health Education following the national framework model proposed by the Federal Centers for Disease Control. This weaves so-called “comprehensive” (read: condom-based) sex-ed into the framework, and does not move Ohio any closer to solving any health problems among our youth (it may actually exacerbate them!) There’s only one small problem: Ohio already has standards for what can be taught, especially in the sexual risk avoidance category-these have been State Law since 2001.
From Friday 5 – October 18, 2019