Sham Amendment in Indiana Senate
From Micah Clark at Indiana Family Association of Indiana.
It’s a Total Sham!!!
This afternoon, in the Senate Education Committee, Senator Linda Rogers (SD11) will offer an amendment, approved by Republican leadership, that completely guts House Bill 1134. It is total capitulation to the teachers’ unions.
This amendment is written to intentionally deceive parents who have fought to protect their children for months.
The Rogers’ Amendment simplifies HB 1134 and sounds good, but it has absolutely no teeth. It does nothing to empower parents that they cannot do already!
House Bill 1134 is a bill that was designed to protect children from the harmful Critical Race Theory ideology and divisive concepts that parents oppose. Her amendment deletes 33 pages of this bill that at least tried to empower parents. Senator Rogers’ amendment even allows for the teaching of these divisive concepts! The amendment is so vague that it merely says a teacher cannot “promote” these things. Who defines how much instruction (or indoctrination) constitutes promotion?
The Rogers’ Amendment is a betrayal of what parents needed. It removes all penalties for schools that teach these concepts or counsel children on sensitive topics without parental consent.
Again, in attempting to appease teachers’ unions, Senator Rogers eliminated all consequences rogue teachers would have faced, and she made it easier for a school to counsel on controversial matters without parental consent.
There are no penalties in the Rogers’ Amendment because it removes all legal standing a parent would have had if their child is harmed (for example) by an abortion referral or gender identity counseling.
Moreover, the Rogers’ Amendment would allow an unlicensed school employee to do sensitive mental health counseling on a child without parental consent. (This may not even be legal!) The only thing a parent can do is file a grievance with the school or the Indiana Department of Education which supports CRT.
Under the Rogers’ Amendment, the time for a parent to be notified regarding mental health counseling of their child is cut back from a month to only a week. Many children could be counseled on sensitive matters without their parent’s knowledge or consent.
Under the Rogers’ Amendment there is no broad curriculum transparency. A parent can only see teaching materials upon request, or if they are a part of an online learning program, but there is no consequence if the school ignores a parent’s request.
Under the Rogers’ Amendment, sensitive student survey data is no longer adequately protected. It becomes the property of the state.
Under the Rogers’ Amendment, protections from age-restricted, illegal matter harmful to minors (pornography) in the classroom have been removed.
Under the Rogers’ Amendment nothing will change for a parent who complains to a school about divisive instruction, outside speakers, or other materials.
If enacted, the Rogers’ Amendment would do nothing to deter a school or a teacher if they were harming children before this bill was ever considered.
Call your State Senator now at 317-232-9400 and ask them to oppose the Rogers’ Amendment to HB 1134.
You can find your State Senator and email them too, at this link.
Sham Amendment in Indiana Senate – American Family Association
