Missouri sex education bill aligns with U.S. model

By Matt Franck, Post-Distpactch, February 15, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY -- Sex education classes in Missouri's public schools would no longer be required to teach about contraception under a bill that would, instead, model instruction after a federal abstinence-only program.

Critics told a House committee Wednesday that the bill would gut the state's sex education law, making it impossible for teachers to speak of any form of contraception other than abstinence.

"In essence, this bill would dismantle our current comprehensive sex education law," said Michelle Trupiano of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Cynthia Davis, R-O'Fallon, said the legislation would merely give school districts the flexibility to teach sex education as they see fit.

"There is nothing in the bill that prohibits anyone from talking about anything," she said. "Schools will be liberated to teach what schools want to teach."

Davis has filed bills to amend Missouri's sex education law for years. Last year, one of her bills cleared the House, but only after a provision on contraception instruction was deleted.

Under current law, schools that teach sex education are required to present the "latest medically factual information" on the benefits, side effects and failure rates of contraception.

Davis' bill would strike that, saying instead that information on contraceptives and pregnancy should conform to a federal abstinence-only program.

The program makes no mention of contraception. Instead, it lists eight aspects of abstinence that should be taught, for example, that abstinence is the "expected standard for all school-aged children" and that sex outside marriage is likely to have "harmful psychological and physical effects."

Davis said those guidelines do not mean that schools would be excluded from teaching concepts not listed in the federal program.

Critics say otherwise.

Rep. Jeanette Mott-Oxford, D-St. Louis, said that under the bill, teachers who want to bring up contraception could say nothing on the subject, aside from recommending that children not engage in sex until marriage.

John Coffman, a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, predicted that if the bill were to pass, it could be tied up in court for years. In the meantime, he said, the provisions would gag free speech.

Aside from addressing contraception instruction, the bill also would prohibit sex education materials or services from being offered by abortion providers.

During Wednesday's hearing, at least one lawmaker questioned why schools teach sex education.

"I don't understand why our school systems are assuming this parental responsibility and diluting their instructional time," said Rep. Wayne Cooper, R-Camdenton.

The bill is HB716.

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