Gov. Ducey strikes down controversial sex ed bill; issues executive order instead

By
Sinobia Aiden
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Executive order documents (Courtesy of the Office of Governor Doug Ducey)

Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed Senate Bill 1456 on Tuesday, legislation that would’ve made Arizona sex education laws among the strictest in the country.

Ducey called SB 1456 overly broad and vague and said it would lead to unintended consequences. He was also concerned a ban on sex education before 5th grade could put vulnerable children at risk by limiting sexual abuse prevention education.

Ducey then issued an executive order, which adopted some of the bill’s calls for transparency, requiring Arizona school districts to post all sex education curriculum online at least two weeks before it’s offered to students.

“Arizona is and will remain a national leader in parental rights,” Ducey said. “Too often, parents are left out of this process, and the importance is even greater when it comes to educating students about deeply personal matters like sex education. This Executive Order ensures that parents are in the driver’s seat when it comes to overseeing the education of their children.”

If passed, SB 1456 would have prevented all discussions of gender identity, sexual orientation and HIV/AIDS in sexual education classes unless parents were notified prior and decided to opt-in their child for instruction.

In addition, the legislation would have banned any sexual education before 5th grade and instruction outside of sex ed, requiring parents to opt their children in for education regarding historical LGBTQ+ events such as the Stone Wall riots in New York.

Those in opposition to the Senate bill believed it was an attempt for Arizona legislators to discriminate against children.

“No matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, all students should feel supported by their schools and families to grow into who they are without fear, and without efforts to withhold important LGBTQ history from their education. This bill is nothing more than a harmful attempt by Arizona legislators to discriminate against LGBTQ children,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David told 12news.

Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Katy Hoffman, who had called the Senate bill “state-codified bigotry” in a previous statement, agreed with Ducey’s decision to veto.

“[Ducey] made the right decision by vetoing SB 1456 and I want to thank him for standing up for bigotry and intolerance. All students are welcome in Arizona’s public schools and today’s veto reaffirms that,” said Hoffman in a tweet.

Contact the reporter at saiden@asu.edu.