(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Republicans in the Indiana Senate have advanced legislation that would require school boards to approve all lessons and materials on sexuality.
The bill would require school boards to approve all materials used to instruct students on human sexuality by July 1 and to post them on websites.
Republican Sen. Gary Byrne, the sponsor, said this is intended to make sex education more transparent for parents.
Senator Greg Taylor, a Democrat, questioned the legislation.
“Why is it a school board gets to determine what my child uses in the classroom to learn human sexuality," he asked.
“I would just say it’s another way to have local accountability on that. Right now, they don’t vote on that. They’re the elected officials," Byrne answered.
"Government closest to the person is usually the best government in my opinion, and in this case, it would be the school board."
The legislation was also criticized for not defining “human sexuality.” Byrne said that would be left to school boards.
Democratic state Sen. J.D. Ford warned that the ambiguity could have a negative impact on LGBTQ+ students if the definition is not defined by the state.
“This bill, simply put, allows Moms for Liberty direct access to see what’s going on so they can go to their local boards and fuss at them,” Ford said.
Moms for Liberty is a national conservative group known for challenging curriculum such as material on LGBTQ+; diversity, equity and inclusion and racial justice topics and working to pack local school boards with its endorsements.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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