Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Today, the State Assembly will vote on Assembly Bill 458.  The following is the text of the memo sent to Assembly Representatives by Susan Armacost, Wisconsin Right to Life Legislative Director in opposition to the measure.

 

TO:  Assembly Representatives

FROM:  Susan Armacost, Legislative Director
               Wisconsin Right to Life

RE:  Wisconsin Right to Life urges you to vote "no" on Assembly bill 458

Assembly Bill 458 mandates that certain subjects be covered when schools include classes in Human Growth and Development in their curriculum.

Wisconsin Right to Life strongly believes that our state should be promoting public policy initiatives that enhance the health of our youth as well as reduce the number of pregnancies among our youth and  reduce the number of abortions obtained by our youth.  Programs that focus on abstinence from sexual activity are vital in order to teach students that abstinence is the healthiest course for them to take and is the only way to insure that sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and abortion will not result. 

Unfortunately, AB 458 would require that students be taught about  a number of activities that could endanger their health and could result in a growing number of teen sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancies and abortions.  School districts would no longer be able to offer an abstinence-only curriculum to their students under AB 458.

Wisconsin Right to Life believes that this legislation is not in the best interest of the youth of our state and should be rejected by the legislature.

Thank you.