The House Education committee passed a bill Monday that aims to prevent “harmful” material from being taught in schools — opponents say the bill would lead to banning books.
Senate Bill 5 would create a mechanism for parents to file complaints against school material they find “harmful” or “obscene” — more specifically, material legislators say “sexualizes” young children.
“This is not just some parents that have different ideas out in our society, but this is absolutely sexualizing our children,” said Rep. Josh Calloway (R-Irvington), a House Education committee member who also introduced legislation this term that would address school material.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jason Howell (R-Murray), said the bill addresses “obscenity” in school material, and this is the most granular approach to the subject so far.
The bill also seeks to define “obscene” by saying it refers to unclothed subjects that display genitalia or portray sexual acts. Further, the bill allows parents to file an appeal with the school district for inappropriate material.
Complaints would be submitted to principals, who would investigate the alleged incident. Within 10 days, the principal would determine if the material harms minors and decide what action to take.
“We’re really trying to drill down and have the children that are affected have the most influence in their particular district and have the principals in the school systems in those districts have the most control over the issues that we’re dealing with,” Howell said.
When asked whether or not the bill is based on anything in Kentucky by Rep. Lisa Willner (D-Louisville), Howell said it wasn’t — though the bill’s co-sponsor, Senate President Robert Stivers (R-Manchester), said he remembered an issue with a “twerking” teacher that even caused Gov. Andy Beshear to condemn the teacher’s actions.
Willner, though, said the bill is based on culture wars across the United States and isn’t coming from anything local or in the state, and it’s putting kids in the middle of this battle.
“This seems to be part of a national conversation that has been divisive,” Willner said.
Kenton County resident Alex Berling testified to the committee that it’s appalling that while the state has a teacher shortage, instead of focusing on bills aimed at increasing teacher pay, the legislature is passing this bill that she says will increase the teaching load.
“I see this bill is nothing more than government overreach, especially from the party that used to claim that they hate big government,” Berling said.
Further, Berling said she sees the bill as a slippery slope toward other regimes that have banned books, such as Nazi Germany.
“Books are designed to make you think as a parent and when thinking about the future generation in general,” Berling said. “I want them to have a great education, including having the tools to think for themselves.”
Fellow Northern Kentuckian Mirna Eads also testified during the committee. Eads, a former House District 68 candidate and the Campbell County Chapter chair for Mom’s for Liberty, said her group doesn’t ban books.
“Of the 22 books that I had challenged in my district, 20 have to do with the pornography statutes,” Eads said, elaborating that “porn” and “kids” shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence.