ACTION ALERT: Please Ask Members of the Ways and Means Committee and Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee to OPPOSE HB119 Which Requires Inclusion of Gender Ideology in Public School Curricula Without Parental Opt Out
Text of HB119: County Boards of Education – Curriculum Guides and Courses of Study – Requirements
FOR the purpose of requiring each county board of education to follow the policy and guidelines for program instruction for public schools established by the State Board of Education; requiring the Superintendent to notify a county board if it is determined that the county board is not following every element of the policy and guidelines; authorizing the Superintendent to withhold 10% of the funds budgeted for the county board if the board fails to resolve any discrepancy identified by the Superintendent within 30 days; etc.
why icm OPPOSES HB119
- PLEASE NOTE the amended changes in the synopsis above: local school boards may not determine their own curricula, which would instead be dictated by the state superintendent. The state superintendent may withhold 20% of any county's funding if the curricula are determined to be non-compliant in any way. Parents may not opt out of any required material.
- Parents have the fundamental right to understand and direct how their children are educated.
- Parents are tax-paying citizens and have the right to engage in civic participation in the development and implementation of public school programs and curricula.
- HB119 seeks to remove control from local school districts and boards of education.
- Parents have the fundamental right to insist that content of public school curricula is factually sound and inclusion of new content based on new ideology and/or methodology is evidence-based and demonstrably leads to positive outcomes
- Inclusion of gender ideology in public school curricula based on recent changes in public guidelines is linked to negative mental and physiological health outcomes for students.
- HB119 includes open-ended language which does not adequately safeguard parents' vital and fundamental right to protect their children from exposure to curricula including content on ideology which is not evidence-based and demonstrably causes negative outcomes.
There are three ways to submit testimony: written, in-person, and virtual. You can find instructions on how to proceed with giving testimony on HB119 in the EEE Committee here.
Please note: You must register to give testimony for HB119 between 8AM and 3PM on Tuesday, March 28th.
Who to contact about HB119
HB119 and SB199 were identical companion bills introduced in the House and Senate respectively. HB119 was amended and the amended version of HB119 is now the bill currently moving through the legislature, and will be presented in the Senate Committee hearing on Wednesday 3/29.
There will be a hearing for HB119 before the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee on Wednesday, 3/29/23 at 1:00 PM.
URGENT: We’re asking all members to contact bill sponsors Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary, Senator Clarence Lam, Senator Jim Rosapepe, Senator Shelly Hettleman, and Senator Mary Washington, and to call and email the members of the Education committee and the members of the Energy and the Environment committee to let them know, in your own words, why you oppose HB119/(SB199)!
Please contact the following HB119(SB199) bill sponsors to express your opposition:
410-841-3471| 301-858-3471
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3471
410-841-3653| 301-858-3653
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3653
e-mail: Clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us
410-841-3141| 301-858-3141
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3141
e-mail: jim.rosapepe@senate.state.md.us
410-841-3131| 301-858-3131
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3131
410-841-3145| 301-858-3145
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3145
Please copy and paste the following email addresses of the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee members into the BCC section of your email in opposition to HB119:
brian.feldman@senate.state.md.us , Cheryl.Kagan@senate.state.md.us , malcolm.augustine@senate.state.md.us , benjamin.brooks@senate.state.md.us , marybeth.carozza@senate.state.md.us , jason.gallion@senate.state.md.us, katiefry.hester@senate.state.md.us , bryan.simonaire@senate.state.md.us , ron.watson@senate.state.md.us , karen.young@senate.state.md.us
Please call the offices of the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee members in opposition to HB119:
Phone 410-841-3169 | 301-858-3169
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3169
Phone 410-841-3134 | 301-858-3134
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3134
Phone 410-841-3745 | 301-858-3745
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3745
Phone 410-841-3606 | 301-858-3606
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3606
Phone 410-841-3645 | 301-858-3645
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3645
Phone 410-841-3603 | 301-858-3603
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3603
Phone 410-841-3671 | 301-858-3671
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3671
Phone 410-841-3658 | 301-858-3658
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3658
Phone 410-841-3631 | 301-858-3631
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3631
Phone 410-841-3575 | 301-858-3575
Toll-free in MD 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3575
Please note: Rules for submitting written and oral testimony for HB119 in the EEE Committee here. You must register to give testimony for HB119 between 8AM and 3PM on Tuesday, March 28th.
Please spread the word! Let’s flood the offices of the HB119(SB199) sponsors, and the EEE committee members with polite, respectful, forceful emails and phone calls. They need to hear our voices!
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