Week 6 (Feb 17-19)
Week 6 was a slower week for movement on many of our priority bills, but it still delivered a major victory and plenty of drama at the State House. After THREE sessions of advocacy, SB209, the bill to amend Alabama’s sex education standards, finally passed the full Senate, a huge win for families and common-sense policy.
At the same time, the atmosphere in Montgomery was anything but quiet, as a sudden shake-up in Republican leadership followed intense controversy over a fast-tracked Public Service Commission bill that was ultimately pulled from the calendar (at the end of Week 5) amid public uproar and internal division. On Wednesday, Scott Stadthagen announced his resignation as Majority Leader so he could focus on campaigning for Chairman of the AL GOP. Later that day, Rep. Paul Lee was elected as the new House Majority Leader, leaving many at the State House visibly bewildered by how quickly the leadership transition unfolded.
YAY! Bill To Amend Sex Ed Law Passes Senate
SB209 (Sen. Shelnutt)
BILL DESCRIPTION: This bill would require any sex education or human reproductive curriculum or program in a public K-12 school to exclusively teach Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) and encourage abstinence from all sexual activity and would prohibit any sex education instruction for students in kindergarten through fourth grade.
BILL STATUS: SB209 passed the Senate and is headed to the House.
OUR POSITION: This is one of our priority bills for the last three legislative sessions. ICYMI: We testified in support of this bill in Senate Education Committee. Members jaws-were dropping when they heard this testimony.
DETAILS: Some schools may be teaching explicit “Comprehensive Sex Ed”. View this shocking example below of CSE curriculum that some AL counties received federal funds to teach. Is this what you want your kids learning? SB209 would prohibit Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) programs like these in Alabama public schools.
NEW BILLS THIS WEEK
Stronger Standards for Foreign Drivers
SB242 (Sen. Bell)
DESCRIPTION in a nutshell: This bill would put federal commercial vehicle safety rules into state law, requiring drivers, including those with foreign commercial licenses, to show valid entry documentation and demonstrate English proficiency to operate in the state. It also creates penalties, including impoundment procedures, and makes it an offense to present a false foreign commercial driver license.
STATUS: Passed Senate and is headed to the. House
OUR POSITION: We support this bill.
Protecting Worship Services
HB363 (Rep. Barnes)
DESCRIPTION: This bill would provide that if an individual enters upon the premises of a church building to intentionally disrupt a worship service by engaging in a riot, unlawful protest, or disorderly conduct, or otherwise engages in the harassment of any other individual in the worship service, the individual would be guilty of the offense of disruption of a worship service.
STATUS: Bill passed out of House Judiciary and is headed to the House floor.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill.
Chaplains In Schools (For Teachers)
HB8 (Rep. Gidley) SB305 (Sen. Smitherman)
DESCRIPTION: This bill would authorize each local board of education and the governing body of each public charter school to vote on whether to allow schools in their jurisdiction to accept a campus chaplain as a volunteer and, if the vote is in the affirmative, would allow volunteer chaplains to be made available to provide services at the request of a teacher.
STATUS: HB8 passed out of House Education Policy Committee on Feb 4th and the senate companion SB305 passed out of Senate Education Policy Committee. Both are headed to their respective chamber floors for debate.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill. These chaplains are for teachers NOT for students. Just like Police and Fire Departments or the military, this would allow chaplains to minister to teachers on campus.
Previous Bills That Moved This Week
SB26 (Sen. Elliott) There was a public hearing in House County & Municipal Government Committee and then the bill was given a favorable report and is headed to the House floor. (It already passed the full Senate.)
SB71 (Sen. Chesteen) This bill is now law. It prohibits state agencies from setting environmental rules that are stricter than federal standards. If no federal standard exists, agencies must base any new rules on the best available science and overall scientific evidence. Proponents say this will cut environmental red-tape, but others fear this could lead to higher levels of toxic chemical exposure to humans, animals and land.
HB381(Rep. Faulkner) This camp safety bill passed the House and is headed to the Senate.
