Last week, I represented the Bishops of Nebraska with testimony against two bills in our State Legislature. The first bill (LB 192), introduced by Sen. Brenda Council, mandates so-called comprehensive sex education in all public schools.
Sen. Council introduced the bill in response to the extremely high rates of sexually-transmitted diseases in various parts of Nebraska, including her north Omaha legislative district. In my testimony I expressed understanding for her legitimate concern but asserted that her bill is the wrong approach to address the problem.
So-called comprehensive sex education that emphasizes, and even promotes, contraception embodies a certain defeatism that presumes young people are incapable of controlling themselves sexually and therefore reduces expectations and education to the lowest common denominator.
In my observations and study of young people today, it is clear to me that they are capable of—and they desire—self-control in this important area of their lives. And they want their parents’ and society’s help to achieve it rather than be abandoned to the mediocrity of risk reduction strategies; strategies that don’t even purport to address the emotional, psychological and spiritual consequences of sexual activity.
Abstinence-based education, by contrast, takes a truly comprehensive approach to human sexuality that conforms better to human nature and dignity. This approach recognizes and addresses all the dimensions and consequences of sexual activity (i.e. the physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual, social, economic, and educational consequences). Abstinence-based education does not simply tell students to avoid sexual activity until marriage; it helps them develop the skills and character to achieve this goal.
Nebraska’s State Board of Education and the Association of School Boards also oppose LB 192, primarily due to their opposition to state mandated curricula. Opposition by these heavy hitters will likely dim this bill’s prospects of success.
The second bill (LB 540), introduced by the Health and Human Services Committee, directs our state to apply for a federal Medicaid waiver to expand family planning services in Nebraska. This bill is a priority of Planned Parenthood and its cohorts who are seeking a new funding stream for contraception.
Currently, Medicaid covers "family planning" services for those whose incomes are at or below 100 percent of the poverty guidelines. The Medicaid waiver would allow Nebraska to expand those services to those whose income is at or below 185 percent of poverty guidelines.
One of the main points in my testimony countered the claims that contraception reduces unintended pregnancies and abortions, and, by averting births that would have to be paid for under Medicaid, saves the state money.
To substantiate this claim, proponents of contraception point primarily to a 2004 study commissioned by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The study examined six Medicaid waiver states and claims that every state experienced a cost savings based on births that were averted by expanding access to contraception. A critical examination of this study reveals that it is based on estimates and assumptions not on empirical data.
What’s particularly questionable and troubling is that the study admits that not every state examined saw a reduction in unintended pregnancies nor did every state experience an increase in family planning use. Yet the study claims that every state saved money by increasing funding for family planning and subsequently averting births. It’s doubtful that those states not seeing a drop in unintended pregnancies saw a decline in births. But if they did, the decrease in births had to come from abortions and miscarriages.
I was the only person to testify against this bill although Nebraska Right to Life communicated its opposition to the bill by e-mail. This bill’s prospects are more difficult to predict at this point. For my complete testimony and for updates on these and other bills my office is following, check out the Nebraska Catholic Conference website at www.nebcathcon.org.
You can contact Greg at The Nebraska Catholic Conference,
215 Centennial Mall South Suite 310, Lincoln, NE 68508; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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