Making barely a ripple in state news, a bill dubbed “Erin’s Law” passed quietly through the State House Saturday on a vote of 34-6.
Merryn: “My mission is to put these monsters out of business, and to empower kids with their voice.”
Erin Merryn was sexually abused as a child and has been on a national campaign to require all schools to teach children about “safe touch” and sexual assault prevention.
Those in opposition say they prefer local control of school curriculum. Rep. Mike Hawker said it’s not fair to place another unfunded mandate on districts and to require educators to provide psychological care when they’re not trained for that responsibility; Rep. Tammie Wilson feared how families may be affected if a rigid state protocol is put in place.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District already has similar programs and lessons in place.
Four similar bills were filed in the Legislature this year. This is the first to see any significant movement. It now heads to the Senate for consideration, where majority leaders say their time is devoted to other priorities.
The Office of Children’s Services says there have been 1,592 allegations of abuse since the start of the current school year.