>> GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER
RECENTLY SIGNED INTO LAW A NEW
MEASURE TO UPDATE SEX EDUCATION
FOR K-12 SCHOOLS IN ILLINOIS.
SUPPORTERS SAY THE MOVE WILL
OFFER AGE APPROPRIATE
INFORMATION INCLUDING TEACHING
YOUNGER STUDENTS ABOUT THEIR
PERSONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY.
CRITICS SAY THE NEW STANDARDS GO
STOOFER.
JOINING US ARE SENATE SENATOR
RAM VILLIVALAM A DEMOCRAT FROM
CHICAGO.
AND REPRESENTATIVE TONY MCCOMBIE
A REPUBLICAN SENATOR FROM
SAVANNAH.
SENATOR RAM VILLIVALAM LET'S
START WITH YOU PLEASE.
THE NEW LAW MOVES ILLINOIS IN
LINE WITH THE NATIONAL SEX
EDUCATION STANDARDS STUDENTS
WILL LEARN ABOUT CONSENT AND
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, GENDER
IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION
AND SEXUAL HEALTH AND OTHERS.
WHY DID YOU THINK IT WAS
NECESSARY TO ADOPT THESE
STANDARDS.
>> FIRST THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME.
LOOK, WE'VE ALL SEEN THE NEWS.
WE'VE ALL SEEN THE REPORTS.
THERE'S BEEN A RISE IN CHILD
SEXUAL ABUSE SCANDALS AND SEXUAL
HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE AND
SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUSES AND
BULLYING OF LGBTQ STUDENTS AND
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
YOU SEE THE COVERAGE.
THEY NEED MEDICALLY AND
FACTUALLY INFORMATION AND A SAFE
ENVIRONMENT TO DEVELOP THE
SKILLS THEY NEED.
SENATE BILL 818 DOES JUST THAT.
IT ESTABLISHES REQUIREMENTS FOR
CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT DECIDE TO
TEACH HIS EDUCATION THAT IS AGE
AND DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE,
MEDICALLY ACCURATE AND
INCLUSIVE.
>> NOW, THERE ARE OTHER TOPIC
AREAS INCLUDED AS WELL.
INCLUDING ANATOMY AND
PHYSIOLOGY, PUBERTY AND SEXUAL
DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS
INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE.
REPRESENTATIVE TONY MCCOMBIE YOU
SAY THIS BILL MISSES THE MARK.
WHY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
LIKE SEVERAL BILLS THAT UP
FORTUNATELY PASSED OUT OF
SPRINGFIELD THEY GO TOO FAR AND
THIS IS JUST ONE OF THOSE.
SIX YEARS AGO THERE WAS A
COMPREHENSIVE BILL THAT PASSED
BY THE HOUSE SPONSOR WHO CARRIED
THIS ONE LEADER LILLEY.
AND THAT AT THAT TIME WAS FOR
6-12 GRADE AND THIS GOES FROM
K-12.
AND I THINK THE SENATOR AND BOTH
SIDES OF THE AISLE CAN AGREE
THAT WE WANT KIDS TO KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE OF GOOD TOUCH, BAD
TOUCH, BULLYING, HEALTH AND
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, ALSO AGREE
ABOUT LEARNING ABOUT CONSENT.
BUT THIS HERE DETERMINES THE
CURRICULUM WILL BE DESIGNED ON
THE NATIONAL SEX EDUCATION
STANDARD AND THAT IS WHERE I
HAVE AN ISSUE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE
GETTING AWAY FROM THE STATE HAS
THE STATE WAS THERE DATA SHOWING
THAT THE STATE WASN'T DEVELOPING
CURRICULUM THAT WAS KEEPING KIDS
UNSAFE?
OR IN A POSITION THAT THEY WERE
NOT ABLE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES?
THE AGE APPROPRIATE IS ALSO
PRETTY SKETCHY IN MY OPINION
BECAUSE IT DOES NOT DEFINE IT.
WHAT ONE FEELS IS APPROPRIATE
FOR A K-3 AND ANOTHER MIGHT NOT.
>> LET'S GET INTO THAT A LITTLE
BIT.
SENATOR, CRITICS SAY AS WE HEARD
THAT THE STANDARDS ARE NOT AGE
APPROPRIATE ARE THEY BROKEN DOWN
BY AGE GROUP AND HOW SO?
>> WELL, THEY ARE.
AND WE DID GIVE EXAMPLES WE HAD
A SPIRITED DEBATE IN THE SENATE
ABOUT THIS.
AND THE YOUNGER GRADES
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND
GRADE THE FOCUS IS PERSONAL
SAFETY WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
GOOD FRIEND, GOOD TOUCH AND BAD
TOUCH AND BEING ABLE TO TALK TO
PARENTS AND TRUSTED ADULTS WHEN
SOMEONE WANTS YOU TO DO
SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU
UNCOMFORTABLE.
I WILL ADD WE ARE NOT DELL
GRATING TO NATIONAL --
DELEGATING TO NATIONAL
STANDARDS.
WE HAVE IN THE LAW BY AUGUST 1
OF 2022, THE ILLINOIS STATE
BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL ADOPT
STANDARDS WITH INPUT FROM YOUTH,
FROM PARENTS, SEXUAL HEALTH AND
VIOLENCE PREVENTION EXPERTS,
HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND
SCHOOLS WILL RETAIN LOCAL
CONTROL THROUGH THE SELECTION OF
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS.
AND LASTLY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN
STILL CONTINUES TO HAVE THE
RIGHT TO OPT THEIR STUDENT OUT
OF INSTRUCTION.
THE ARGUE MANY THAT WE'RE
DEFERRING TO THE NATIONAL SEX ED
STANDARDS I DO NOT BUY IT.
PUT IT INTO LAW THAT
APPROPRIATELY THAT WE BELIEVE IN
OUR STATE AND WE WANT INPUT FROM
OUR YOUTH, PARENTS AND TEACHERS.
>> TO THAT END REPRESENTATIVE,
YOU CALLED THE STANDARDS
SEXUALLY CHARGED WE HEARD THAT
PARENTS ARE ALLOWED TO OPT-OUT.
DISTRICTS DON'T TEACH SEX ED DO
NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW THE
STANDARDS.
DOES THAT ADDRESS ANY OF YOUR
CONCERNS?
>> WELL, I STRONGLY DISAGREE.
THE CURRICULUM WILL BE DESIGNED
USING THE NATIONAL SEX EDUCATION
STANDARDS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO
USE ALL OF THE STANDARDS THAT
THEY DEFINE.
THEY HAVE SEVERAL POINTS IN THAT
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IT DOESN'T
SAY THERE'S 16 POINTS THAT THEY
WANT YOU TO FOLLOW.
AND NOT ONE OF THOSE IS
MEDICALLY ACCURATE.
NOT ONE OF THOSE.
THAT IS A BIG DEAL.
THEY WILL BE DESIGNED BY THIS.
AND WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT
LOCAL CONTROL AND OPTING OUT,
WHAT IS WRONG WITH STATE
CONTROL?
WHY ARE WE TAKING THIS ON THE
NATIONAL SIDE?
THERE WAS EIGHT DEMOCRATS IN THE
HOUSE THAT VOTED AGAINST THIS
WITH CONCERNS BECAUSE THE STATE
WILL NO LONGER HAVE CONTROL OR
BE ABLE TO GIVE INPUT TO THE
NATIONAL STANDARDS.
NOW, THE OPT-OUT IS INTERESTING
AS WELL.
IF THE OPT-OUT IS NOT BOTHERING
SOME WHY NOT AN OPT-IN?
AND THE ANSWER IS THAT PARENTS
WILL NOT OPT-IN.
>> SENATOR GO AHEAD.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY IT'S
IMPORTANT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE AGE
APPROPRIATE AND DEVELOPMENTAL
APPROPRIATELY AND MEDICALLY
ACCURATE.
CHECK THE BILL.
GO TO THE WEBSITE.
SENATE BILL 818.
IT STATES BY AUGUST FIRST, 2022,
THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF
EDUCATION SHALL ADOPT RIGOROUS
EDUCATION STANDARDS WITH THE
INPUT FROM YOUTH, PARENTS,
SEXUAL HEALTH AND VIOLENCE
PREVENTION EXPERTS AND
HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND CLEARLY
STATES THAT THE SCHOOLS WILL
RETAIN LOCAL CONTROL THROUGH THE
SELECTION OF CURRICULUM.
THIS ARGUMENT WE'RE DEFERRING TO
THE NATIONAL STANDARDS IS TO
BORROW A WORD NOT ACCURATE.
AND BY THE WAY DON'T TAKE MY
WORD FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS
LEGISLATION LOOK WHO SUPPORTED
AND DEVELOPED THIS LEGISLATION.
ANN AND ROBERT LOWERY CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO.
THE ILLINOIS PUBLIC HEALTH
ASSOCIATION AND THE ILLINOIS
COALITION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND STAND WITH MEDICAL EXPERTS
AND SURVIVORS.
>> I SEE REPRESENTATIVE SHAKING
HER HEAD I KNOW THERE IS SOME
DISAGREEMENT HERE BUT WE'RE OUT
OF TIME AND WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT
THERE.
LOTS TO DISCUSS HERE THANKS TO
SENATE SENATOR RAM VILLIVALAM