via Andrea Kelly, Arizona Public Media
The state House education committee passed a bill Monday that would prohibit school districts and charter schools from promoting abortion as a better alternative to childbirth and adoption.
SB 1009 would require schools to talk about adoption as the preferred alternative to abortion when the issue comes up in the sexual education curriculum. The Arizona Catholic Conference is among the supporters.
“It ensures that taxpayers do not subsidize abortion propaganda in schools,” said Ron Johnson, Arizona Catholic Conference executive director. “We’ve seen this type of bill become law in states like Missouri and North Dakota. We believe it’s a good bill.”
Dem. Rep. Lynne Pancrazi said sex ed courses are about abstinence.
“My understanding is that high school health classes, which is a sophomore class, doesn’t teach anything like this. It just teaches your healthy eating and healthy living and body,” she said. “If it goes into any kind of sex ed it would go into abstinence only, that’s my understanding.”
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Nancy Barto, said that doesn’t make the bill unnecessary.
“If the subject came up, silence certainly wouldn’t be appropriate, if a student said, ’Well, what happens if I get pregnant?’” she said. “A discussion is likely to ensue and this gives guidance … to a school district on how to handle that.”
The Brandt Standard 
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