BERLIN– Legislation that would establish a comprehensive health education framework continues to draw criticism from local elected officials.
Last week, the Worcester County Commissioners voiced sharp objections to a state bill regarding health education that they said would force issues like gender identification and human sexuality onto students far too early. Just a day later, Sen. Mary Beth Carozza shared her concerns about the bill, which she strongly opposes, during a hearing of the Senate Education, Energy and Environment Committee.
“For the life of me I still cannot figure out why we need this bill,” Carozza said.
The bill, HB 119 in the house and SB 199 in the senate, would require the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to develop a comprehensive health education framework and would have local school systems develop age-appropriate curriculum consistent with that framework. Sen. Clarence Lam, one of the bill’s sponsors, told the committee the bill was generally misunderstood. He said MSDE developed the framework in 2019 and that counties had been developing their curriculums in accordance with that framework. With recent concerns that some counties were moving away from that framework, he said he wanted to see the it codified. Maryland State Superintendent Mohammed Choudhury agreed and said the legislation would simply ensure the framework remained in place.
Carozza said she’d received countless calls and emails about the bill.
There is no good cause or reason for either bill.