Kentucky House committee passes ‘parental rights bill’

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) - A controversial education bill was heard by a Kentucky legislative panel Monday morning.

Senate Bill 5 is called the “parental rights bill.”

SB 5 easily passed the Senate committee and the full Senate and is now in the House.

Supporters say it gives parents more rights in school matters and keeps obscene matters out. The bill sponsor says they want to address materials that are very offensive and that which parents may find objectionable and give them the process to address that concern.

It would require a policy for schools and school boards to address that.

“This is absolutely sexualizing our children. That is what is taking place,” said Rep. Josh Calloway, R-Irvington. “I have pictures right here that I won’t hold up because we are on TV. Of books that come from the state of Kentucky that are in our children’s schools that depict things that some people should never see. Let alone a child be exposed to.”

However, opponents say it is simply a way to ban books, most notably those that deal with the LGBTQ community.

Chuck Eddy, who is opposed to the bill, said, “Today there is an effort to ban a lot of books that have LGBTQ content. I am very concerned about that. I feel this is an effort to reduce or cancel this kind of culture.”

If a parent were to find something obscene and wanted to appeal that to the principal, the principal would have 10 days to review it.

The House Education Committee passed SB 5 by a vote of 16-4. It now goes to the full House.

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