Prairie State Wire

Illinois Conservative Union Chairman Carol Davis is blasting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signing into law a bill that adds new personal health and safety education standards for students as early as in kindergarten.

“Our overlords in Springfield did their dirty work when they thought no one would notice,” Davis told the Prairie State Wire. “Gov.Pritzker signed into law the horrendous SB 818, which now legalizes the sexual grooming of the state’s children, preparing them to be easy targets for sexual predators. There is no other word than ‘evil’ for those who are determined to steal the innocence of even the youngest children.”

Hailing it as part of a plan to “modernize and strengthen” the state’s education system, Pritzker signed the measure into law, along with House Bill 24, which requires classes that teach sex education to include an age-appropriate discussion regarding sexting, earlier this month.

“Modernizing our sex education standards will help keep our children safe and ensure important lessons like consent and internet safety are taught in classrooms,” he said. “By working together, we’ll continue to strengthen our education system and deliver the bright future our kids deserve.”

Davis isn’t the only conservative voice to express opposition to the plan. Conservative Union members recently re-posted a letter addressed to Pritzker by state Rep. Adam Neimerg (R-Teutopolis) imploring him not to sign off on the legislation.

"Please join Rep. Adam Niemerg’s efforts to have Governor Pritzker VETO SB 818. Call, write, email," group members wrote.

SB 818 seeks to add new personal health and safety education standards for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, while making comprehensive health education more inclusive in grades 6 through 12.

The Illinois State Board of Education will be responsible for helping to develop the new learning standards in consultation with parents, sexual health and violence prevention experts, health care providers, and education advocates.

Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville), now a candidate for governor, also recently denounced the measure during a fiery House floor speech where he blasted the proposal as a form of “putting perversion in schools.”

“I sat here and I listen to this and participate in what I expect to be a prestigious body,” he said in a video posted to YouTube. “And here we are dealing with absolute nonsense. That’s what this is. Teachers who are learning to teach our kids proper education have no reason to teach this stuff.”