NC Senate approves legislation to protect student organizations and to teach abortion can be a preventable cause of pre-term births
By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League
May 9, 2013
RALEIGH — Students’ rights — to pray in public schools and to operate their own clubs at the college level — were on the minds of Senators this week who also took up a bill that would broaden what students are learning in sex education to include more information on abortion.
“We’ve all heard of the myriad of problems faced in our schools today — matters ranging from guns to drugs. But the real problems that students face have little to do with what‘s in a student’s hand, but more to do with what’s in a student’s heart,” the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, told members of the Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday. “And nothing is as effective in dealing with matters of the heart than the practice of faith, more specifically the practice of prayer.”
He was speaking in support of Senate Bill 370 – Respect for Student Prayer, which passed the Senate Thursday.
Dr. Creech said student-initiated prayer can reverse a negative turn of events, inspire struggling students to new heights, provide comfort in time of grief and more. But, he said some educators and certain outside groups intimidate students into silence or inaction on matters of faith and practice, making the bill necessary.
Sponsored by GOP Senators Stan Bingham (Davidson), Warren Daniel (Burke) and Ralph Hise (Madison), the bill would require local boards of education to include in their policies the freedom of students to pray at school, including at extracurricular events, and the requirement that school employees not be disrespectful of the students’ exercise of their rights. It would also create complaint procedures and administrative remedies.
While bill supporters admitted that most of the proposed law is simply a re-articulation of the First Amendment and case law precedents that already govern the rights of students, they said too many people are unaware of all that the law allows.
“I think the point of it is that teachers and schools don’t understand current law,” said Sen. Austin Allran (R-Alexander). “They are telling students that they can’t talk about God or anything else that is religious.”
Dr. Creech agreed and said some teachers have either directly told students or given them the impression that schools are supposed to be “completely religion-free” or “God-free zones.”
To help clear up the confusion, the bill would specify that students are allowed to express religious viewpoints in a public school to the same extent and under the same circumstances as a student is permitted to express viewpoints on nonreligious topics. It would clarify that they can distribute religious literature, organize prayer groups or religious clubs and express their faith via homework assignments. Also included is a provision to keep local boards of education from preventing school personnel from taking part in religious activities initiated by students before or after school.
“Though teachers in a way are an extension of the state, they don’t lose their constitutional freedom of religion rights simply because they are employees of the state,” Dr. Creech added.
He said S 370 could help eliminate some of the hostility to religious expression in the public square while at the same time serving to embolden students and teachers so they won’t be bullied into suppressing their expressions of faith.
Student’s Organizations Bill
The Senate also approved a bill that would shore up students’ rights at the state’s public colleges and universities, giving student organizations the right to determine their own core functions and resolve their own disputes. The bill would clarify that religious or political student organizations determine their own leaders and govern themselves according to their established written doctrines. It would also prevent an institution from denying a club recognition based on its exercise of these rights.
Presented by Sen. Dan Soucek (R-Watauga), the bill, SB 719 – Student Organizations/Rights & Recognitions, would address a number of incidents similar to the 2003 dispute between the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to media reports, an administrator threatened the IVCF with a loss of privileges and funding because it required its leaders to adhere to Christian doctrine. After the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education publicized the threat, the university backed down, but other incidents have followed, especially as many universities have become hotbeds of political correctness.
Sen. Soucek said the bill would bring uniformity to the university and community college systems, where policies now vary from one campus to the next.
“Universities and community colleges are routinely promoting bigotry against Christian groups duly recognized on their campuses by threatening to kick them off campus unless they abandon their core beliefs,” Tami Fitzgerald, director of the North Carolina Values Coalition, told the committee.
Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) said he believes the bill is needed.
“I do believe that if you have a socialist political student organization, they ought to be able to keep out the tea party folks,” he said. “I think it cuts both ways.”
The bill passed the Senate unanimously and will now go to the House.
Abortion/Preterm Birth Bill
Also this past week, a Senate committee signed off on SB 132 – Health Curriculum/Preterm Birth – a bill that would ensure that students in reproductive health and safety classes from seventh grade up would be informed about the preventable causes of preterm birth, including abortion as a cause of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies.
Sen. Daniel told the Health Committee that students are already being warned about cigarette smoking, drinking and other hazardous behaviors, so why shouldn’t they hear about future risks associated with abortion? He said the bill was recommended by the Child Fatality Task Force.
Martin McCaffrey, director of the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina and a professor of pediatrics at UNC Children’s Hospital, told the committee that a growing number of studies reveal a link between abortion and subsequent pre-term births. He said it has been estimated that abortion may be responsible for 31 percent of pre-term births.
“In 2010 there were 2,100 very low birthweight infants born in North Carolina. Abortion is estimated to be responsible for 262 cases, 86 excess deaths and 18 extra cases of cerebral palsy,” McCaffrey said.
But the committee also heard from David Grimes, a gynecologist and epidemiologist at UNC Hospital and a longtime abortion specialist. He said that McCaffrey’s statements were not scientifically accurate and that lawmakers should focus their attention on “tanning booths and texting while driving, which pose real risks.”
At the request of committee members, the bill’s sponsors amended its language to include four other preventable causes of pre-term birth — smoking, alcohol use, use of illicit drugs and lack of prenatal care — that would be explained to students.
On the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. Ellie Kinnaird (D-Chatham) suggested that the bill be further amended to include another cause of pre-term birth, that of “elective surgical procedures.” She said doctors and patients across the state need to understand that scheduling an early Caesarean section or inducing labor early simply for convenience can put babies at risk. She objected to third reading of the bill so that it would come back to the Senate floor for discussion and another potential amendment.
The second reading vote on the bill was 41 to 5. The Senate is expected to take it up for third reading this coming week.