SPRINGFIELD, IL – Legislation driven by Planned Parenthood and Chicago-area liberal Democratic legislators to take away parental rights to work with local school boards related to sexual education curricula passed the General Assembly on May 22.
State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) spoke out strongly against the bill as it was being debated and despite his objections, House Bill 2675 awaits the Governor’s signature.
Senator Rose stood with more traditional groups like the Illinois Family Institute and the Catholic Conference of Illinois in opposition to the legislation that would erode the rights of parents and local school boards to decide the “how,” the “when,” and the “what” of proper sexual education in the classroom.
“Some of the curriculum approved under this legislation included graphic images that would not be appropriate for students as young as 6th grade, to which the bill applies, and is certainly not acceptable for 10 year olds – for which this same curriculum is rated,” Rose said. “I have seen an example of the ‘approved, age-appropriate’ materials and as a parent; I would not let my children view them at these young ages. Frankly, local newspapers could not print these same images that are intended for 6th graders,” he noted.
Under the example of so-called ‘age appropriate’ curriculum provided by the Illinois Family Institute in their opposition materials on the bill, 6th graders would be introduced to homosexuality and instructed that is “okay” to have an abortion because the parent’s don’t have enough time to take care of a baby – so much for discussions of personal responsibility.
“These are difficult topics at any age, but to remove the rights of parents and locally elected school boards to manage topics like these just is not right – particularly, when you look at these materials and realize that they are being aimed at 6th graders. This goes beyond education and begins to set a liberal agenda in our local schools,” Senator Rose warned.