(FiveNation.com)- The Republican-controlled House based a bill championing parents’ rights in their child’s classroom in a 213-208 vote last week, according to The Hill. The bill, titled the “Parents Bill of Rights,” is now making its way to the Senate where it will likely meet Democratic opposition as parents’ rights in education have become a politically charged topic since the public controversy surrounding transgender, explicit materials, and other “woke” issues have been a recurrent theme in schools across the country.
Democrats are already reportedly calling the bill the “Politics over Parents Act.” In a weird twist of fate, Republican Reps. Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Matt Gaetz, Mike Lawler, and Matt Rosendale have voted with Democrats in opposing the bill, which will require schools to publicly publish their curricula, allow parents to meet with their child’s teachers, and require schools to dish out the information requested by parents when violence in the school occurs.
On the heels of explicit material that many conservatives have deemed to be inappropriate for children, the bill will also give parents a list of the books that are available in the library and allow parents to have a voice when policies regarding student privacy are being changed.
Republican Rep. Julia Letlow reportedly pushed back against any opposition and said that the bill is not complex and will not increase Congress’ power in determining what schools can or cannot teach; rather, she added, the bill will make schools more transparent and accountable.
At the start of the year, one Minnesota high school gave students a list of progressive topics to choose from for two projects, according to the conservative magazine American Pigeon. Topics reportedly included free college, climate change, slow food, renewable energy, gender equality, animal rights, importance of vaccination, voting rights/reform, guaranteed access to health care, and other social justice issues like defunding the police and LGBTQ rights.
