Baby Olivia Act hits another bump in Arkansas Senate Committee
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A bill in the Arkansas legislature that would require public schools to show a human development bill to elementary students failed in committee on Wednesday after more than an hour of debate.
House Bill 1180 was filed on Jan. 21 by Rep. Mary Bentley (R-Perryville), sponsored by Sen. Clint Penzo (R-Springdale) and co-sponsored by nearly three dozen other lawmakers.
After the bill hit a bump in the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 10, Bentley presented an amended version that would require a 'human fetal growth and development discussion' beginning in sixth grade instead of fifth and permitting the Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop a list of approved videos.
The ADE's list would include the 'Meet Baby Olivia' video. The three-minute video depicts fertilization and the stages of in-utero development of a computer-generated fetus.
However, the bill has received backlash from other lawmakers and the public.
Bill filed to show Baby Olivia gestation video in Arkansas health classrooms
Brittaney Stockton, a mother of three daughters, spoke against the bill during the Senate Education Committee meeting on Wednesday. Stockton advocated for broader sexual education as she said it could help protect children from sexual abuse.
Others spoke in support of the bill, with one saying it would be 'an act of advantage discrimination' to not allow children to understand the process of human development.
Bentley said the bill is about 'teaching children the basic facts about human development [in an] approachable way.'
The bill failed on Wednesday due to not receiving the five votes it would need to advance out of the eight-person committee.
HB1180 is on the Senate Education Committee's regular agenda for March 3.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Madison County honors WWII veterans celebrating 100+ years of life
MADISON COUNTY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — On June 5, four World War II veterans from Madison County, each over 100 years old, were honored with a birthday celebration at the county's senior activity center. They were just teenagers when they served; only 16, 17 and 18 years old. Many of them weren't drafted but volunteered. Now, eight decades later, they're being celebrated not just for their service, but for their lives. The event was filled with patriotic decorations, birthday balloons and a room packed with friends, family and fellow veterans. 'It was wonderful,' said organizer Jannie Layne. 'This place was packed.' The honorees included 100-year-old Marine Corps veteran Loy Watson, 102-year-old Denton Grubbs, 100-year-old William Bowling and 100-year-old W.J. Combs. 'You know, a lot of these young fellows…. you never know much about the war,' Watson said. 'Somebody then tells you.' Rogers School District auctions tiny house made by students; money to be reinvested in the program Hubert Combs traveled from Tennessee to celebrate with his brother W.J. Combs 'It's about the freedom we enjoy, the freedom they helped maintain,' said Hubert Combs, a veteran himself. Over sweet tea, birthday cake and heartfelt speeches, the day was both a tribute and a reunion. The original celebration expanded beyond the four centenarians, as 10 to 12 other veterans in attendance were also honored. 'It makes me makes me cry, makes me so emotional to think about all the things that these men went through and their families went through,' Layne said. 'We got to honor them in a little way to say thank you.' The celebration served as a powerful reminder of what journalist Tom Brokaw famously called 'the greatest generation any society has ever produced.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
New York won't rescind Native American mascot ban and instead suggests broadening it — despite Trump's threat
New York education officials won't rescind the state's ban on Native American mascots and team names, despite threats from the Trump administration that it risks losing federal funding. Instead, New York officials suggested in a letter to the US Department of Education on Thursday that they could broaden the state ban to include names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups that the department deems offensive. The federal agency last week determined New York violated Title VI of the federal civil rights law by issuing a statewide ban on the use of Native American mascots and logos. Advertisement 3 The Massapequa Chiefs logo is seen in the school gym during a press conference and visit with U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon at Massapequa High School in Massapequa, N.Y. on Friday, May 30, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post The department's civil rights office found the state ban is discriminatory because names and mascots that are still permitted are also derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots.' New York officials said they're willing to work with federal officials to 'reach a resolution as to the appropriate standard,' wrote Daniel Morton-Bentley, legal counsel for the state education department. Advertisement Morton-Bentley also noted in his letter that the federal government's current stance in support of keeping Native American team names and mascots runs counter to the agency's previous stance on the issue — not to mention those of the US Commission on Civil Rights, tribal leaders, state governments, and professional organizations that have long deemed them harmful and offensive. What's more, a federal judge in New York earlier this year dismissed a lawsuit brought by some local districts that have refused to comply with the state mandate to rid their schools of offensive Native American mascots and team names, Morton-Bentley wrote. 3 President Donald Trump attends a meeting with the Fraternal Order of Police in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, June 5, 2025, in Washington. AP The education department and its civil rights office, he argued, is 'not a court of last resort for unsuccessful litigants.' Advertisement Spokespersons for the federal education department didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon last week visited Massapequa, a Long Island town that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot, and was among the local districts that unsuccessfully challenged the state in federal court. 3 A person lies on the grass in front of Massapequa High School, in Massapequa, N.Y., Friday, April 25, 2025. AP McMahon said she would give New York ten days to sign an agreement rescinding the ban and apologizing to Native Americans for having discriminated against them and attempting to 'erase' their history. Advertisement New York school districts have until June 30 to commit to replacing offensive Native American mascots or team names, or risk losing state funding. They can be exempt from the mandate, however, if they reach an agreement with a local Native American tribe. The state education department said as of Thursday, three districts have sought and received extensions as they work to comply with the mandate. Massapequa was not among them.
6 days ago
New York won't rescind Native American mascot ban, despite Trump's funding threat
NEW YORK -- New York education officials won't rescind the state's ban on Native American mascots and team names, despite threats from the Trump administration that it risks losing federal funding. Instead, New York officials suggested in a letter to the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday that they could broaden the state ban to include names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups that the department deems offensive. The federal agency last week determined New York violated Title VI of the federal civil rights law by issuing a statewide ban on the use of Native American mascots and logos. The department's civil rights office found the state ban is discriminatory because names and mascots that are still permitted are also derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the 'Dutchmen' and the 'Huguenots." New York officials said they're willing to work with federal officials to 'reach a resolution as to the appropriate standard,' wrote Daniel Morton-Bentley, legal counsel for the state education department. Morton-Bentley also noted in his letter that the federal government's current stance in support of keeping Native American team names and mascots runs counter to the agency's previous stance on the issue — not to mention those of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, tribal leaders, state governments, and professional organizations that have long deemed them harmful and offensive. What's more, a federal judge in New York earlier this year dismissed a lawsuit brought by some local districts that have refused to comply with the state mandate to rid their schools of offensive Native American mascots and team names, Morton-Bentley wrote. The education department and its civil rights office, he argued, is 'not a court of last resort for unsuccessful litigants.' Spokespersons for the federal education department didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon last week visited Massapequa, a Long Island town that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot, and was among the local districts that unsuccessfully challenged the state in federal court. McMahon said she would give New York ten days to sign an agreement rescinding the ban and apologizing to Native Americans for having discriminated against them and attempting to 'erase' their history. New York school districts have until June 30 to commit to replacing offensive Native American mascots or team names, or risk losing state funding. They can be exempt from the mandate, however, if they reach an agreement with a local Native American tribe. The state education department said as of Thursday, three districts have sought and received extensions as they work to comply with the mandate. Massapequa was not among them.
