Some parts of House Bill 90, introduced by Republican State Rep. Niraj Antani, have raised ire from critics, however. Specifically, they’re upset about language that says students should be taught about “the humanity of the unborn,” a nod to pro-life beliefs espoused by many Republican lawmakers.
Another part of the bill would create prohibitions keeping school employees from telling students about abortion providers.
Students in Grades 3-12 would take the classes under Antani’s proposal. The materials for the segments about pregnancy and fetal development would be provided by the Ohio Department of Health under the proposed law.
The provisions dealing with abortion have civil liberties and pro-choice groups crying foul.
“They want to commandeer multiple state agencies and all public schools to deliver slanted, incorrect, harmful and unscientific information across the state,” said American Civil Liberties Union lobbyist Gary Daniels during a committee hearing on the bill yesterday.
Other critics, including Ohio Planned Parenthood, say the statements that would be required under the bill are scientifically inaccurate.
“Our children deserve an inclusive, developmentally appropriate and honest education,” Ohio Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Board Chair Jennifer McNally said during the hearing. “We have a societal responsibility to help them learn to protect themselves, to navigate healthy relationships and to reinforce family communications. Offering anything less is not only ineffective, it is unethical.”
Antani says the criticism about scientific accuracy is precisely why he would tap the Department of Health to develop the specific material taught.
A prior point in the bill, since dropped, would have required signage in the restrooms of public buildings like schools advocating for “an abortion-free society.”
Currently, there are no set standards in Ohio for K-12 health and education classes. The Buckeye State is the only one in the nation without those standards.
State Reps. John Becker and Craig Riedel, both Republicans, are cosponsoring the bill.
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This article appears in Jun 5-11, 2019.
To students, some of which go without lunch cause of parental income shortfall.
How about 1st showing humanity toward the living?
Republicans, like Christians, have figured out that the fact that people need to be indoctrinated with their beliefs at a young age.
When they’re allowed to learn things like critical thinking, or if they’re allowed to develop empathy for others, it significantly reduces the likelihood of them ever becoming evangelicals or Republicans.
Why do you think they’re so obsessed with saving the unborn, but once they’re born they could care less? Propagation of the faith, pure and simple. The more children born, the more likely a few of them will grow up to be Rush Limbaugh listeners. For all of their vaunted claims, it’s really just them trying to rejigger the odds in their favor, because their beliefs are dying a slow, painful death in the modern world.
Hallelujah
Ohio has been labeled the most eastern of the western states and also the most western of the eastern states. That’s all bullshit now. What we have obviously become is Ahia, the most northern of the southern states. Alabama, with less sunshine and a lot more snow…but I prefer to call it North Missitucky.
Another well-deserved shout-out–beginning with an F and ending with a “you”–to our benighted Columbus Bible-thumpers, who continue to make this state one of the most regressive in the Untied Snakes.
Is it any surprise Ohio’s population stagnates instead of growing? Who the hell desires to come here anymore, unless it’s by necessity and not by choice? Few young people relocate here, and many of those who are born here still choose to get the hell out and not look back. With legislation like this, and legislators like ours, do you really need to ask why?
Let us also teach about the system and how it works or really doesn’t. How the unwanted pregnancies will result in people who are entered into a system that will fail them because of a lack of funding and programs due to rollbacks happening right now. Rollbacks by the people whom are pro-birth and not truly pro-life. The pro-birthers whom want these births but do not want a better system to help these needy individuals once born. Let us also discuss the high potential for abuse of and mental health issues in this group.
they don’t want children knowing the truth about late term abortion and infanticide or as Gov. Northam called it post birth abortion. I hope all you late term abortion lovers know that if you get pregnant and decide you want the baby and someone stabs, shoots, or assaults you it won’t matter–there will be no legal recourse. See you can’t say it’s ok for a women to kill a baby up until the day it’s born and not a man. THERE is YOUR EQUALITY FOR YOU! Men are being let out of prison every day in NY because the charges they had for harming an unborn child are no longer legal…Wonder how all those women who are victims and lost there babies to murder feel? Doesn’t really seem like feminism does it? #feminisdoesn’tsupportwomen