Healthy Youth Act Headed to Governor
6/26/2008 - Yesterday afternoon the North Carolina House voted to accept the Senate version of the Healthy Youth Act and send it to the Governor for her signature. The bill will put comprehensive sex education in all North Carolina schools, but retains some problematic language from the old Abstinence Until Marriage law. Equality NC celebrates this is an important step forward that will make a real difference in the lives of young people, but notes that work to improve sex education is not done.
This is the second bill that has passed the legislature this week that, when it becomes law, will help protect the health and safety of North Carolina students, and particularly LGBT young people.
"Abstinence only programs have failed North Carolina students, and at long last they will get the comprehensive information they need about contraception and disease prevention," said Ian Palmquist. "While this bill is far from perfect, and leaves in bad language of particular concern for LGBT young people, it is also significant progress,"
Equality NC is a part of Healthy Youth NC, a coalition of more than 40 organizations working to pass legislation to improve sex education.
Governor Perdue has ten days to sign the bill, and her staff has indicated she is expected to sign it.
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