COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Republican lawmakers have introduced new bills that would promote religious instruction in public school classrooms: one to add more "positive" impacts of Christianity and the other to require screenings of a GOP-supported fetal development video created by an anti-abortion group.
With the lawmakers back from their summer recess, they are introducing a slew of new bills. Education continues to be a focus.
State Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery) has introduced H.B. 486, which would allow K-12 public schools and college professors to provide instruction on the “positive” impacts of religion on American history. The GOP has titled the bill the "Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act."
"Many of our adults don't actually understand the roots of America and our founding principles that are rooted in Christianity and that's why we have our liberty, that's why we have our freedom," Click said. "I think we need to be able to be free to teach that."
He said that the bill doesn’t allow people to proselytize — converting or attempting to convert students — but does include how Christianity positively benefited policies like the “treaty with the Native Americans” and how the Ten Commandments shaped federal law.
Ohio Education Association President Jeff Wensing stated that schools have local control and that teachers are already prepared to have age-appropriate conversations about religion.
"I believe our students need to have an honest education and teaching about the topics that are both things that you can be proud of and things that you're not so proud of have to be addressed," Wensing said.
Some educators fear the state is infringing on their curriculum, especially since S.B. 1 went into effect for colleges.
"[Professors are] definitely concerned," Wensing said. "Higher education is supposed to be or traditionally has been like the bastion of free speech and the bastion of free thinking."
Click said the legislation doesn't impact the separation of church and state, and that this instruction isn't required. He also said both the good and bad should be talked about.
"There is no negative aspect of Christianity, but Christians have not always acted Christian," Click said.
Christian activists and groups have told us they are supporting Click's bill, as well as Ashland Republican Rep. Melanie Miller's H.B. 485, which would require third graders and older to watch “Meet Baby Olivia,” a GOP-supported fetal development animated video created by anti-abortion organization Live Action.
"Children are a gift, and we're hoping that we can change the culture to be celebrating life instead of destroying life," Miller said in a press conference.
The video teaches that life begins at conception and goes through each stage of growth. Abortion rights advocate Kellie Copeland says that the video isn’t appropriate.
"It does not include the pregnant person; it includes idealized images of what fetal development looks like," Copeland said. "It doesn't talk about complications, things that could go wrong. This is not about being medically accurate."
The development cycle and graphics shown in the video conflict with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' research.
"They want to be able to impose their views, their religious views — let's be clear — on everyone else," Copeland said.
But Miller believes that it is accurate and can help provide insight into pregnancy since Ohio teaches abstinence-only sex ed.
"Ensure that [students] are prepared when they are faced with a life-changing decision," Miller said.
Each of these bills will continue being heard in the coming months.
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