Erin’s Law is back in the legislature. If passed, the bill would require school districts, statewide, to provide age-appropriate K-12 sexual abuse education. Last session Representative Geran Tarr, a Democrat from Anchorage, introduced Erin’s Law which died in the House Finance Committee.
Alaska has some of the highest rates of child sex abuse in the country. There were nearly 2,700 sexual abuse cases involving children reported to the state Office of Children’s Services in 2014. The law is named after 29-year-old Erin Merryn from Illinois, who was sexually abused as a child and has made it her goal to pass the law in all 50 states. Last year she testified before the legislature about the law which, Tarr says, had broad bi-partisan support.
Last year, Republican Senator Lesil McGuire carried the bill in the Senate, but it went nowhere when the Legislature got caught up in a standoff over a minimum wage bill. This year, Republican Representative and Majority Leader, Charisse Millett has introduced another version. She says she wants to hear from local Alaskans throughout the process.
“I would like to have a face, folks talking about this bill that are from Alaska that have the Alaskan story that they can tell. Because I think it’s important for folks in Alaska to hear from Alaskans. It’s important that Alaskans take ownership that there is a problem, and then an ownership that they want to solve the problem,” said Millet.
The bill does not have a fiscal note attached, however legislators say it could cost districts to train staff. Members of the House majority say bills that cost money will get extra scrutiny this session, as the state faces a multi-billion dollar budget deficit due to falling oil prices. Last year Tarr said the Alaska Children’s Trust, theRasmuson Foundationand the Mat-Su Health Foundation had all expressed support for the bill.
Via alaskapublic.org
More on Erin’s Law
image credit Skip Gray Gavel Alaska
