California Senate passes bill prohibiting school boards from banning gender and race-related material.
California Lawmakers Pass Bill to Protect Inclusive Curriculum in Public Schools
Last week, California lawmakers made a significant move to ensure that public school boards cannot ban books and educational material related to gender and race. This groundbreaking bill, known as AB 1078, is expected to be signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom within the next month.
Governor Newsom has expressed his support for AB 1078, which aims to empower families and prevent school boards in conservative areas from censoring content they find objectionable. The bill received approval from the state Senate, albeit along party lines.
“California is the true freedom state: a place where families — not political fanatics — have the freedom to decide what’s right for them,” Newsom said.
Introduced by Democrat State Assemblyman Corey Jackson, the bill titled “Instructional materials and curriculum: diversity” seeks to impose financial penalties on school boards that ban state-approved material related to Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, and LGBTQ topics.
“We’re taking a firm stand against book banning in California’s schools, ensuring that our students have access to a broad range of educational materials that accurately represent the rich cultural and racial diversity of our society,” Jackson emphasized.
However, some conservative areas and lawmakers argue that this law undermines the authority of parents and local school boards in the ongoing culture war surrounding critical race and radical gender theories.
“We’re not having the conversation at the core of the issue, which is age-appropriate materials,” Republican State Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh expressed.
Republican State Senator Kelly Seyarto of Murrieta also believes that the opposition to the bill has been blown out of proportion.
“Parents should have a right to be able to go up to their school board and voice their concern about the content of the material they’re being taught,” Seyarto stated.
The passing of this bill comes after the Temecula Valley Unified School District had to reverse its decision to reject a state-approved curriculum due to threats of fines and legal action from Governor Newsom.
Notably, some parents had concerns about lessons involving Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. The Daily Wire reported that Milk had been accused of rape and had engaged in sexual relationships with young boys. Parents also found other LGBT-related content to be ideologically biased or age-inappropriate.
Despite the controversy, an emergency board meeting was called, and the curriculum was eventually approved unanimously for the upcoming school year. However, it is likely that the controversial material will be removed entirely or replaced.
A recent investigation by The Daily Wire revealed that Governor Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, may have personal interests in the bill’s provisions and restrictions on removing content, potentially benefiting financially from its implementation.
Local media reports suggest that Governor Newsom will sign the bill into law within the next month, ensuring its immediate effect on California students as they continue their academic calendar.
Amanda Prestigiacomo and Luke Rosiak contributed to this report.
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