Dem
51
GOP
49
While we are on the subject of what House Republicans want, there's this: H.R. 5. This is the Republicans' "Parents Bill of Rights." It's more hype and marketing than anything else, but Republicans now think that they can all be Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), who ran a campaign based on empowering parents and won, albeit against a fairly sleazy retread Democrat.
The bill would create certain rights: for parents, including:
In the abstract, these seem reasonable. But the devil is in the details. For example, the first point includes a requirement that every school post a list of all the books in the school library. The second one means that any parent who wanted Heather Has Two Mommies removed from the library would have a legal right to address the school board and demand its removal. The fourth item means that schools would not be allowed to sell student data. It is not clear if any schools do that now, however. It also means that parents would have to consent in advance before any medical test (e.g., a urine test for illegal drugs) could be administered in school. Here is a more complete list from supporters of the bill. The bill was introduced by Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) and has 73 cosponsors, all Republicans.
The problem with this bill is what happens when some aggrieved parent goes to the school board meeting and demands that Heather Has Two Mommies be removed from the school library and placed in the paper shredder but another parent wants to make it required reading? Might that get out of hand? In Florida, a million books are currently under review due to recent legislation banning certain race- and LGBTQ-related content.
What do teachers think about this bill? Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, the largest labor union in the country, said of Kevin McCarthy: "McCarthy would rather seek to stoke racial and social division and distract us from what will really help our students thrive: an inspiring, inclusive, and age-appropriate curriculum that prepares each and every one of them for their future." From the Republicans' point of view, having a major union president oppose the bill is a big plus.
Here is the top of the front page of Fox's website this weekend:
Hmm. Interesting thought. Government should stay out of education? Aren't the public schools run by the (local) government? Maybe "government" means the "federal government." In that case, if McCarthy wants the federal government to butt out of education, why is he tolerating a bill that would put the federal government smack in the middle of it? He can't really argue that it was introduced by a rogue congresswoman and acquired 73 cosponsors all against his will when he was actively endorsing the bill:
McCarthy has said a number of times that the government has to stop woke indoctrination in the schools. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced a similar bill in the Senate last year and it didn't even get a vote. (V)