NEWS FLASH

Utah Governor Vetoes Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Bill | On Friday, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) vetoed the proposed abstinence-only sex education bill, which would have made all sex ed classes “opt-in” instead of “opt-out” and prohibited any discussions of contraception or homosexuality. Explaining that he found the current sex ed provisions sufficient, he explained he could not sign a bill “that deprives parents of their choice.” Passing such a law would have made Utah the first state to specifically ban instruction about contraception and would have also contributed to anti-gay school climates as demonstrated by Anoka-Hennepin School District’s failed “neutrality” policy in Minnesota. Over 40,000 individuals had signed a SignOn.org petition urging Herbert’s veto of the bill and 58 percent of poll respondents supported the teaching of contraception.