As we reported on Monday , the Assembly Education Committee approved a bill , A2421, that amends a 2001 law regarding surveys that schools can have students participate in. The law as written and passed in 2001 requires that parents give their written consent prior to surveys being administered. The bill that amends the current law requires only parental notification.
The proponents of the bill want to allow schools to employ a scamming tactic referred to as “negative consent.” That’s the technique that telemarketers use when they offer you a product or service for “free” for 30 days. If you don’t take affirmative action to cancel the “free trial” your credit card is charged monthly until you catch up with the scammers and cancel.
The current law allows students to be surveyed about the following topics, if their parents consent in writing:
(1) political affiliations;
(2) mental and psychological problems potentially embarrassing to the student or the student’s family;
(3) sexual behavior and attitudes;
(4) illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating and demeaning behavior;
(5) critical appraisals of other individuals with whom a respondent has a close family relationship;
(6) legally recognized privileged or analogous relationships, such as those of lawyers, physicians, and ministers;
(7) income, other than that required by law to determine eligibility for participation in a program or for receiving financial assistance under a program; or
(8) social security number.
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Posted: February 13th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: Education, NJ State Legislature | Tags: A2421, Assebmy Speaker Sheila Oliver, Assembly Education Commitee, NJ State Assembly, Socialogical Strip Search, Strip Search | 3 Comments »
UPDATE 1:45PM
The Assembly Education Committee approved A2421, a bill that would allow schools to survey students without the written consent of their parents. Surprisingly, there was Republican support for the bill with Assemblywoman BettyLou DeCroce and Assemblyman David Wolfe voting yes. Only Assemblyman Scott Rumana voted no.
The bill now goes to the full Assembly. The Senate has already approved the bill. Click here to find your Assembly Members and express your opinion on this bill.
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In June of 2011, thanks to Carolee Adams of The Eagle Forum, we were able to alert our readers of a bill in the state legislature that, if it becomes law would allow schools to survey children about the political, religious, sexual, medical and economic activities and beliefs of their families, without written parental consent.
The outcry at the time prompted Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini to withdraw as a sponsor of the bill and the bill’s eventual failure to get out of committee in the Assembly.
That hasn’t stopped the sociological strip searchers from trying again and again. The legislation was reintroduced in the current legislature and passed the Senate last year. It is on the docket of the Assembly Education Committee this afternoon. Thanks for Adams for staying on top of this intrusive legislation and bring it to our attention again.
It is time to kill the bill, again.
Here’s a small sample of questions that schools would allowed to ask their students, without written parental consent, compiled from surveys already in use in other states, according to Adams:
Are you bisexual, homosexual, heterosexual, or not sure?
Have you had sex with males or females, or males and females?
Do you use contraception when you have sex?
How many people have you had sex with?
Did you drink or do drugs before having sex?
Have you seriously considered suicide?
Do you plan to attempt suicide?
How many times have you attempted suicide in the past?
And, incriminating questions such as these:
How many times have you stolen something from a store?
Have you damaged property just for fun?
Have you used heroin, opium, morphine, PCP, Angel Dust?
If you don’t want New Jersey’s schools to be allowed to conduct such surveys of their students, without written parental consent, NOW is the time to contact members of the Assembly Education Committee:
Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan, Chair (908) 757-1677
Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Vice Chair (609) 292-0500
Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (973) 450-0484
Assemblywoman Betty Lou DeCroce (973) 265-0057
Assemblywoman Mia Jasey (973) 762-1886
Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez (201) 223-4247
Assemblyman Scott Rumana (973) 237-1362
Assemblyman Troy Singleton (856) 234-2790
Assemblywoman Connie Wagner (201) 576-9199
Assemblyman David Wolfe (732) 840-9028
The Assembly Bill #is A2421. Tell the committee members not to approve A2421
Posted: February 11th, 2013 | Author: Art Gallagher | Filed under: NJ State Legislature | Tags: A2421, Carolee Adams, Kill the bill, Schools, Socialogical Strip Search, Survey's, The Eagle Forum | 24 Comments »
