Sen. Stephen Meredith
This bill required that if a public school has a Sex Education program, “abstinence from sexual activity before marriage” must be included in the program as the only guarantee against pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Opponents of this bill, which included Planned Parenthood and other very liberal national groups, insisted that “Comprehensive Sex Education” (which normalizes early teen sexual activity, abortion, and alternate sexual orientations) be taught and elevated.
Senate Bill 71 turned out to be quite controversial when Planned Parenthood and LGBT enthusiasts criticized the bill for “shaming students.” The purpose of the bill was simply to ensure that students knew that abstinence before marriage is the best and safest way to negotiate the teen years with respect to pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. SB 71 passed the Senate 32-5 on Jan. 24, the House with amendment 77-14 on March 27 and the Senate in concurrence 36-1 on April 2.
