Latest news with #HouseEducationPolicyCommittee
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New committee, same result: Religious instruction bill stalls in Alabama House
Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, speaks to the House Education Policy Committee while holding a binder that reads "Religious Release Act" on March 19, 2025, at the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. The Senate version of the legislation was effectively killed on Wednesday in the House State Government Committee. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) A bill that would require local school boards to adopt policies on extending academic credit for 'religious instruction' outside the classroom failed an Alabama House committee on Wednesday. SB 278, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, is identical to HB 342, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, that failed the House Education Policy Committee on April 2. DuBose presented the legislation to the House State Government Committee. 'This bill simply allows public school students to enrich their school opportunities with an optional religious class. The bill simply requires our school districts to create a policy that allows students to attend an off campus religious class during the school day,' DuBose said. The Senate passed the legislation 25-6 on April 22 after the Senate Education Policy Committee approved it with one 'no' Legislature passed a law in 2019 that allows school boards to adopt a policy on released time religious instruction (RTRI). The 2025 legislation would mandate such policies. But House members have been far more skeptical about the legislation, citing pushback from school superintendents. Sunnie Cotton, the director of LifeWise Academy in Alabama and a proponent of the legislation, called it a parental rights bill. 'This bill strengthens parental rights and protects religious freedom while giving parents the choice to provide religious instruction for their children during the school day,' Cotton said. According to LifeWise's sample curriculum, the organization teaches the Christian belief that 'God created all things good' to a list of virtues that the nonprofit describes as 'LifeWise qualities.' Cotton said the organization is operating in about 600 schools nationwide and is prepared to launch over 900 programs this year. DuBose claimed 4,500 Alabama parents have signed a petition in support of the legislation. DuBose has not presented the petition when requested Wednesday. Ryan Hollingsworth, executive director of the State Superintendents Association, has been a consistent opponent of the legislation. Hollingsworth said Wednesday he is not convinced that the petition has been signed by Alabama parents. 'I don't believe those are verified as being the parents of Alabama students in public schools if they are,' Hollingsworth said. 'Even if they are, we have about 725,000 students, so that's about a half of 1% of folks that have signed it.' He said the bill is lacking key definitions of religious instruction, core instruction and sponsoring entity. 'We have 1,080 hours in the school year to cover everything the state board requires,' Hollingsworth said. 'There's 8,760 hours in the calendar year. That means the parent has the responsibility of the child about 88% of the time.' Scott Suttle, St. Clair County Board of Education president and Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) president-elect, echoed similar concerns. He said the legislation is government overreach in schools. 'Our local leaders have been abundantly clear that we don't want another overreach into our school systems,' Suttle said. 'It works as it is. Let's please leave it as it is.' Sally Smith, executive director of the AASB, said after the bill failed that she is thankful the committee listened to school board leaders. 'We are pleased with the committee outcome. We think that the law as it is is working fine,' she said in an interview after the meeting. Jennifer Riggs, a mother from Huntsville, brought her son to the meeting, like she did at the Senate Education Policy Committee public hearing on April 15. She said the program has helped her children learn about the Bible in public schools since they cannot afford to send their four children to private school. 'Five days per week, seven hours per day, and in public school, the Bible is not being taught. We believe a release time for religious instruction program would bridge that gap,' she said. 'I believe this is legislation that upholds parental rights by allowing us to choose Bible education for our children without having to incur the financial burdens of private school.' Rep. Marcus Paramore, R-Troy, who also serves on the House Education Policy Committee, said he would not support the legislation because of its failure in the first committee. 'So here we are in another committee trying to get a bill that was voted down, back out and on the floor in a different format,' he said. 'I just want to make some comments and make it clear for what Mr. Hollingsworth said earlier this has already been before a body in this house once this year, and here we are again.' The committee had a tie vote on the legislation 4-4 with Paramore; Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster; Rep. Barbra Boyd, D-Anniston; and Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, opposing it. In order for the legislation to receive final approval from the House, a House committee would have to approve the legislation on May 14, the final day of the 2025 session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House committee approves conflict resolution program for middle schools
Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, laughing in a House Education Policy Committee meeting on April 30, 2025, in the Alabama State House in Montgomery, Alabama. The committee unanimously approved Smitherman's bill that requires students to take a conflict resolution course in middle school. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee Wednesday unanimously approved legislation that would require students to take a conflict resolution course in middle school. SB 34, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, requires the State Department of Education to develop the program. 'We're trying to get these kids to where they understand how you deal with conflicts and situations and not resort to … fighting, knives, guns, et cetera,' Smitherman said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The House Education Policy Committee adopted an amendment that would require the program to be taught in middle school, instead of high school. Smitherman said the State Superintendent Eric Mackey suggested the change. 'Dr. Mackey came over and talked to me. He said we need to start this in middle school,' Smitherman said. A message seeking comment from Mackey was sent Wednesday afternoon. Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, supported the legislation and highlighted the importance of conflict resolution. 'I think problem solving is important, and I agree with Dr. Mackey on the timing in middle school,' she said. The course must include lessons on: 'responsible decision-making; the causes and effects of school violence and harassment, cultural diversity, and nonviolent methods for resolving conflict, including peer mediation; the consequences of violent behavior; the causes of violent reactions to conflict; nonviolent conflict resolution techniques; the relationship between drugs, alcohol, and violence; the implementation of voluntary peer mediation programs and the integration of conflict resolution models in classrooms.' Rep. Alan Baker, R-Brewton, also supported the legislation but was worried about the additional stress a new class would put on teachers. 'We do pile too much on the teachers, continuing things that we try to do in the total development of the child, not just academics,' Baker said. Smitherman said it is up to the state Board of Education to decide how often, when and how the course will be taught. The bill moves to the full House for consideration. There are four days left in the 2025 legislative session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House committee approves bill giving educators immunity for misgendering students
House Minority Leader Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, speaks with staff on the floor of the Alabama Senate on Feb. 4, 2025 in Montgomery, Alabama. The House Education Policy Committee Wednesday approved a Stadthagen-sponsored bill that prohibits teachers from using students' preferred pronouns if they do not align with their biological sex. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House Education Policy Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would prohibit teachers from using students' preferred pronouns if they do not align with their biological sex. HB 246, sponsored by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, drew criticism from people who identify as transgender or nonbinary at a public hearing earlier this month. The bill would give public educators legal immunity and students immunity from discipline for using a person's legal name and pronouns aligned with their reproductive organs, instead of the name and gender with which they identify. The substitute removed the section of the bill that did not allow a student to go by a name that is a derivative of their legal name. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'We're going to omit 'other than the student's legal name or a derivative thereof or by' and then the sentence will continue 'a pronoun or title that is patently inconsistent with the student's name, with the student sex, without the written permission of the student's parent or guardian,'' Rep. Susan Dubose, R-Hoover, who read the substitute, said. The committee adopted a substitute that added pronouns or names 'patently inconsistent' with a student's biological sex. The legislation requires students to get a permission slip signed by their parents if they use pronouns that do not reflect their biological sex. The bill passed with no discussion. It moves to the full House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Don't Say Gay' expansion passes House committee
Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, speaking to the House Education Policy Committee on April 9, 2025, in the Alabama House in Montgomery, Alabama. Butler's bill that would expand the state's "Don't Say Gay" law passed the committee on April 9, 2025.(Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee approved legislation to expand the state's 'Don't Say Gay' law throughout K-12 public schools on Wednesday. HB 244, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, would prohibit public school teachers at all grade levels from teaching or discussing gender identity or sexuality. The legislation also prohibits the display of pride flags and insignia in the classroom. An amendment from Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, was adopted unanimously to remove a portion of the bill that would prohibit referring to students by their preferred gender if it conflicts with their assigned sex at birth. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX HB 246, sponsored by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, would give public educators legal immunity and students immunity from discipline for using a person's legal name and pronouns aligned with their reproductive organs, instead of the name and gender with which they identify. 'Some felt there was another bill that is addressing that issue. So it's still there to some degree,' Butler said. The law currently bans such discussions from kindergarten to fifth grade, but Butler said the expansion aligns with President Donald Trump's agenda and executive order. 'We're trying to get as close as we could to President Trump's executive order,' Butler said. The House Education Policy Committee held a public hearing on the legislation last week, which drew significant criticism from mostly transgender and nonbinary Alabamians. Former Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, the first openly gay representative elected to the Alabama Legislature, said her sexuality did not make her colleagues gay. 'And you all who served with me know that. Just because I served with you doesn't mean that you became gay either,' she said last week. Butler said the law will improve public education. 'If you saw the headlines yesterday, there were almost 40,000 applicants for the CHOOSE Act, telling you that clearly there's dissatisfaction of what we're doing with public education, and this will actually help,' he said. The bill will now be considered by the full House. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Alabama House, Senate bills mandating Ten Commandments school displays pass committees
Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, listens to a presentation in the Alabama House of Representatives on April 3, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. Gidley's bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public K-12 schools passed the House Education Policy Committee unanimously on April 9, 2025. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Two bills that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools moved through their respective chambers' committees on Wednesday. SB 166, sponsored by Sen. Keith Kelley, R-Anniston, and HB 178, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, both passed with substitutes that exclude higher education from the mandate. 'The display would still be in a common area there inside the public schools, and the display would be among other historical documents,' Kelley told members of the Senate Education Policy Committee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Under the legislation, public K-12 schools will be required to display an 11-inch-by-14-inch poster of the Ten Commandments. Alabama voters in 2018 approved a constitutional amendment allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed on public property but not mandating such displays. Local school boards do not have to use their state-allocated funds to purchase a poster to display, Gidley said. The legislation does not list any sanctions for schools that do not comply. 'The substitute does not require the LEAs to post the display unless the State Superintendent certifies that donations are available,' Gidley told members of the House Education Policy Committee. The Senate version of the bill heard from critics and supporters in March. Most of the critics said the translation of the Ten Commandments in the bill is not an accurate historical account of the Hebrew-derived text. Supporters said the text is the foundation of Western civilization. Both bills were approved unanimously by their respective committees and will now be considered by each chamber. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
