Bills geared to shield children from ‘sexualization’

BOISE — Among a packed House State Affairs agenda, the committee Friday introduced two bills related to sexual materials and children — one that would prohibit the use of state funds and facilities to promote the “sexualization of children” and another that would require parent permission for participation in sex education in schools.

Both come with civil penalties.

Both pieces of legislation were presented by Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’Alene; committee members voted to introduce both with little to no discussion.

The legislation would prevent state funds or school facilities from being used for the facilitation or implementation of any sexually oriented material that would be distributed or shown to minors under 18. It would allow a parent of a child exposed to these materials, if they were funded by state funds, to sue “any school employee or private entity.”

“Sexually oriented programs” would include “lewd or lascivious dancing, stripping, and any other event, promotion, or distribution of any material” exposing children to “nude adults, individuals who are stripping, or lewd or lascivious dancing.”

The bill prohibits any property owned by a school, school district or the State Board of Education to promote these materials to minors.

Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa, asked if the legislation was different from a bill the committee passed Thursday, which required restricted access of minors to sexually explicit performances, the Idaho Press previously reported. Committee Chairman Brent Crane, R-Nampa, responded that there were differences in the language between the two bills and that it was brought to the Legislature by a constituent.

Price’s second bill would change participation in K-12 sex education to opt-in instead of opt-out. Schools would need to provide alternative class instruction for students who don’t have permission to participate in sex education.

It would also require that the classroom curriculum for sex education be made available to parents and guardians, and if the instruction is given by a third party, that their qualifications be included on the permission form. If these requirements weren’t followed by school districts, parents and guardians of children could sue the school employees.

Brent Crane said that one or both of these bills will likely have public hearings in the House Education Committee, but were introduced in State Affairs at the request of Education Chairwoman Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, because of a packed Education schedule.

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on Twitter @EyeOnBoiseGuido.