More bad bills popping up at the Capitol

From the Office of Representative Bob McDermott

ALERT: HB 459 Scheduled for Hearing This Week Wednesday

Updated Status: To be heard on 2/25/15 at 2pm by the Education Committee. Click here for the bill’s page. Click here for the hearing notice.   TAKE ACTION by Submitting ONLINE TESTIMONY (click here) and by contacting the members of the Judiciary Committee.

First, the Good News: Unlike the original bill, this HD1 allows the Department of Education to keep its current “opt in” policy regarding sex education.

But the Bad News: The HD1 draft of the bill still introduces statutory language that may discourage parents from enrolling their kids is sex education programs—since those programs might not be appropriate.

Page 3 of the bill MANDATES sex education be offered for any “elementary, middle, intermediate, high, and alternative school” operated by the DOE.

There is a certain laxity in the DOE with regard to age appropriateness. I’m afraid that this bill will make this worse.  Young children in elementary school can actually suffer mental harm if they are taught sex education too early.  Psychiatrist Melvin Anchell noted:

• “Scholastic tests done on today’s sexually educated 6- to 12-year-olds, indeed, show that these students have accomplished less scholastically than pre-sex-education students.
• “The sex teachings given to the 6- to 12-year-old students keep sexual impulses stirred up, disrupting sexual growth, as well as personal and cultural achievements.”
• “A partial summary of adverse effects due to the sex educators’ interferences during [this period] is that they: 1) Make the 6- to 12-year-old student less educable; 2) can block the development of compassion; 3) weaken the mental barriers controlling base sexual instincts, thereby making the child vulnerable to perversions in later life.

Page 3 of the bill also states: “At their own discretion, teachers may answer in good faith any question initiated by a student or students that is reasonably related to and consistent with the material of a course…”

This is very broad.  And it also means that parents will likely not have access to the oral statements made by the teachers, since those statements are not part of the written curriculum.

Page 4 of the bill states that “Sexuality health education under subsection (a) shall not not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity”.

The reality is that not all relationships are the same.  There are HEALTH consequences to male-on-male sexual intercourse.  According to the CDC, bisexual and homosexual males are about 2% of the US population; but an estimated 57% persons living with an HIV diagnosis in the United States are gay and bisexual men, or gay and bisexual men who also inject drugs.

This bill could mean that homosexual relationships and transgender lifestyles would need to be discussed—even to elementary students.  Further, the bill’s language could also be interpreted to simultaneously mandate a need to CENSOR the disclosure of the elevated health risks of homosexual behavior—in an effort to curb “discrimination”.  The bill could also be used CENSOR any dissent against the merits of transgender surgery, even though Johns Hopkins—which originally pioneered such surgeries—stopped doing them because they were actually harmful.

UPDATE: We are providing updated information regarding the content and status of these bills. Check back for updates!

Below are bills that might have negative impacts on families or communities. You can TAKE ACTION against these bills by both:

(1) Contacting the members of the respective House Committees that are handling the bill in question; AND

(2) Submitting ONLINE TESTIMONY (click here) if a bill is scheduled for Committee hearing.

HB 321 – The HD1 draft of the bill attempts to allow medical marijuana for people who medically need it. But the bill may go too far. It attempts to create twenty-six dispensaries by 2019—and the county governments have no say in stopping them. Further, the bill allows the creation of marijuana lozenges—children might be tempted to use them as candy. Updated Status: 2/20/15 – Passed Second Reading on the House Floor.  Referred to the Finance Committee.  Not yet scheduled for hearing.  TAKE ACTION by contacting the members of the Finance Committee.

HB 395 – The HD1 draft of the bill allows minors between 14-17 to receive “safe places” services from non-profit organizations–in some cases, even without parental consent. Part of this bill includes an appropriation for temporary housing, and could be used to separate children from parents. This Bill undermines parental authority and rights. Updated Status: 2/12/15 – Passed Second Reading on the House Floor.  Referred to the Finance Committee.  Not yet scheduled for hearing.  TAKE ACTION by contacting the members of the Finance Committee.

HB 459 – The HD1 draft of the bill mandates that all Department of Education schools provide sex education—starting as young as elementary school. The bill also grants teachers discretion on answering sex education questions—answers which might not be documented in the curriculum materials. Further, the bill’s prohibition against discrimination based on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” could mean that such lifestyles will be discussed in class—but without a full disclosure of the hazardous health consequences of homosexual behavior and transgender surgery.  Updated Status: To be heard on 2/25/15 at 2pm by the Education Committee.   TAKE ACTION by Submitting ONLINE TESTIMONY (click here) and by contacting the members of the Education Committee.

HB 631 – The HD1 draft of the bill would require the Department of Health to list someone as a “born” of a different gender on a birth certificate—based on that person’s self-perceived “gender identity”. The bill would also forbid the new certificate from indicating that it was “Amended“. Politically correct, biologically inaccurate, more social engineering. Updated Status: To be heard on 2/24/15 at 2pm by the Judiciary Committee.   TAKE ACTION by Submitting ONLINE TESTIMONY (click here) and by contacting the members of the Judiciary Committee.

HB 819 – Anti-bullying bill, updated in an HD1 draft. While much of the bill is good, the bill has a negative side: It prohibits public charter schools from practicing discrimination based on “gender identity”. Will this mean girls will have to share restrooms with boys who feel they are girls? The language is not clear. Social engineering. Updated Status: 2/20/15 – Passed Second Reading on the House Floor.  Referred to the Judiciary Committee.  Not yet scheduled for hearing.  TAKE ACTION by contacting the members of the Judiciary Committee.