[an error occurred while processing this directive] MAP Advocate Vol. 9 No. 1 [an error occurred while processing this directive]

MAP Advocate

Your AIDS Advocacy Update
Vol. 9 No. 9 - April 24, 2003

  1. Take Action! Call House Ways and Means Committee Members Opposing Dual-Track, Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Language

  2. Sex Ed Debates Shaping Up for House and Senate Floor Battles

  3. Senate Adopts Comprehensive Sex Ed Language

  4. Floor Battle Expected Over Minors' Consent

  5. House Committee Approves Money to Fight HIV Overseas

  6. MN Christian Chronicle Article Focuses on MN Family Council's Efforts to Target MAP

  7. House Education Committee Member's Modesty Remarks Focus of Minnesota Women's Press Story

 

Call Senate E-12 Budget Division members to remove Jungbauer abstinence-until-marriage amendment and restore comprehensive sex education for all Minnesota youth

Late in the Senate E-12 Budget Division hearing on April 14, Sen. Mike Jungbauer [R-East Bethel] offered an amendment to add "until marriage" back into the sexual health education bill. The language now reads that sexual health education must "emphasize abstinence-until-marriage."

Many of our key supporters were out of the room when the amendment was approved. They need to hear from you to remove the amendment and restore effective and proven comprehensive sex education for young people.

Click here for a list of committee members and their phone numbers:
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/committee/2003-2004/Finance_Education_E12/members.htm

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Take Action! Call House Ways and Means Committee Members Opposing Dual-Track, Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Language

The last stop for the dual-track abstinence-only until marriage language in the House Education bill (now incorporated in HF1227) is the Ways and Means committee. That committee must approve the bill before it advances to a vote by the full House. Now is the time to call committee members and ask that they oppose this language that commits an undisclosed amount of money to an unproven curriculum.

Click here to find who is on the committee and how to contact them: http://ww3.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=26

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Sex Ed Debates Shaping Up for House and Senate Floor Battles

Rep. Erickson's dual-track abstinence-only-until-marriage bill has been rolled into the omnibus education policy bill (HF 1227). House leadership is strongly behind this approach and the language.

The Senate has come forth with an alternative that supports comprehensive sex education. This language is in SF 1211, the Senate's omnibus education policy bill. (See below for more details.) MAP expects an effort to weaken the comprehensive sex Ed language with an amendment when SF1211 gets before the full Senate for a vote.

Please click here to find out more.

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Senate Adopts Comprehensive Sex Ed Language


The Senate Education Policy committee voted on Tuesday, March 25 to approve SF851 authored by Sen. Mee Moua (DFL- St. Paul), a bill to ensure young people in Minnesota's schools have access to comprehensive sexual health education. This bill was subsequently incorporated into SF1211.

Voting in support of the bill was Sen. Steve Kelley (DFL-Hopkins), Sen. Sandy Pappas (DFL-St. Paul), Sen. Rod Skoe (DFL-Clearbrook), Sen. Bob Kierlin (R-Winona), Sen. Jane Ranum (DFL-Minneapolis) and Sen. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisolm).

Voting in opposition was Sen. Michelle Bachman (R-Stillwater), Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina) and Sen. Gen Olson (R-Minnetrista).

The committee also rejected a bill offered by Sen. Betsy Wergin (R-Princeton) that would have required schools to offer an abstinence-only-until-marriage curriculum.

Please click here to find out more.

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Floor Battle Expected Over Minors' Consent

It does not appear that this issue will get handled through the regular committee channels as neither the House or Senate bill will have met today's critical deadline for committee actions. However, advocates cannot rest easy.

As has been the case in the past, this issue is apt to come up as a floor amendment when the House and Senate consider major funding bills later in April. MAP will continue to work with the Sex Ed For Life coalition to get calls to legislators informing them about this issue and asking them to oppose any changes to the law as it currently stands.

It is still a good idea to contact your Representative and Senator and ask them to oppose any efforts to weaken a minor's right to consent to confidential health care.

To find out who represents you and their contact information, go to: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/Districtfinder.asp.

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House Committee Approves Money to Fight HIV Overseas

The House International Relations Committee approved a bill (HR 1298) that would authorize $15 billion over the next five years to fight global AIDS. Although HIV advocates did not get everything they asked for in the bill, most agree that the bill is a good effort. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota) was actively involved in pulling the bill together.

The committee rejected several amendments that sought to replace culturally relevant public health with ideology. Some are concerned the Bush administration may not support this bill. Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) has leadership responsibilities in pulling together a companion bill in the Senate. This was the focus of a town hall meeting MAP convened in February with Sen. Coleman.

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MN Christian Chronicle Article Focuses on MN Family Council's Efforts to Target MAP

Another publication has joined in the call to eliminate government funding for the Minnesota AIDS Project. The Minnesota Christian Chronicle's March 20 issue features a story about the Minnesota Family Council's efforts to strip MAP of funding by stating MAP has an extremist "pro-gay agenda" and attacking prevention efforts that focus on safer sex rather than abstinence. A similar article appeared in MFC's pro-family news.

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House Education Committee Member's Modesty Remarks Focus of MN Women's Press Story

In a recent debate in the House Education Committee, Rep. Mark Olson (R-Big Lake) attacked comprehensive sexual health education programs for their role in undermining a young woman's modesty, stating that once a girl loses her modesty, it is a gateway for sexual experimentation.

The Minnesota Women's Press did a follow-up with Rep. Olson and his comments were the focus of a recent article, which can be read at: http://www.womenspress.com

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MAP Advocate is published by the Minnesota AIDS Project every two weeks while the Minnesota Legislature is in session, and monthly during the rest of the year. It is available through the MAP Web site and through email list service. If you wish to order the MAP Advocate, visit our Join the Action Network page, or contact MAP Public Policy by phone or email.

MAP Public Policy
Minnesota AIDS Project
1400 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404

612-341-2060
800-373-2437

communityaffairs@mnaidsproject.org

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