MOAPPP March 2004 E-Monthly

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Table of Contents

Super Tuesday

Today, March 2, 2004 is “Super Tuesday”. Get involved and attend your precinct caucus! Precinct caucuses are the beginning of the process that Minnesota’s major political parties use for choosing the candidates and the issues they will support in the 2004 elections. To find out more about your precinct caucus and how to present a resolution on comprehensive sexuality education, go to MOAPPP.org.

Comprehensive Family Life and Sexuality Education Bill

Sexuality Education for Life Coalition (SEFL) has developed legislation this session: The Comprehensive Family Life and Sexuality Education Bill (SF 2443/HF 2546). The bill proposes new curriculum standards to update the state’s fifteen-year-old HIV/STD curriculum. The bill is supported by a tri-partisan group of 35 MN Representatives and 10 MN Senators. Lead authors for the bill are Senator Sandy Pappas (Saint Paul-65) and Representative Neva Walker (Minneapolis-61B). The Senate Education Committee will hear the bill on Thursday, March 4 at 3:30 pm in State Capitol Room 15. MOAPPP and the MN AIDS Project coordinate SEFL. To read the full text of the bill, go to www.senate.leg.state.mn.us

Minors’ Consent Law In Jeopardy, Again

During the 2003 session, legislation (HF 352/SF 570) was introduced to limit minors’ rights to confidential health care by repealing the minors’ consent law; fortunately the bills were not addressed and were dropped by the end of the session. This session, however, the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee is set to hear details of the bill. The hearing is on Wednesday, March 3 at 4:30 pm in the State Office Building, Room 10. To read the full text of HF 352, go to www.house.leg.state.mn.us

Comprehensive Initiative to Prevent Abortion and Unintended Pregnancy Bill

MOAPPP, Planned Parenthood MN/SD, Sexuality Education for Life Coalition, and a collaboration of organizations helped to develop this initiative (SF 1665). This bill proposes to prevent abortions and unintended pregnancy by increasing access to family planning services; expanding educational efforts to prevent sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy; and increasing after-school activities for youth. The lead authors for the bill are Senator John Marty (Roseville-54) and Representative Katie Sieben (Newport-57A). A hearing for the bill is set with the Senate Health and Family Security Committee for Tuesday, March 9 at 12:00. To view the full text of SF 1665, go to www.senate.leg.state.mn.us

Call for Award Nominations

Each year, MOAPPP honors individuals, agencies, policy makers and programs that make outstanding contributions in the areas of adolescent pregnancy prevention and parenting in Minnesota. The awards are presented at the MOAPPP annual conference on May 7, 2004. MOAPPP currently seeks nominations for the award recipients. Please let us know about individuals, agencies, and programs you work with that deserve to be recognized by their peers. With your help, we can honor the remarkable efforts going on throughout the state. Please go to the MOAPPP website for a full description of the awards and the categories in which they are distributed, as well as a nomination form. Please send nominations to Nancy Nelson at [email protected]or via fax at 651-644-1447 by April 9, 2004.

U.S. Teen Pregnancy Rates Decline

New data released by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, documents that the U.S. teen pregnancy rate declined 28% between 1990 and 2000. Progress is happening in all 50 states and among all racial/ethnic groups. For the full report go to: www.guttmacher.org. Read the Campaign’s statement at www.teenpregnancy.org – and spread the news!

People Between Ages 15 and 24 Account for 50% of All U.S. STD Cases

Individuals between the ages of 15 and 24 accounted for 50% of all new cases of sexually transmitted diseases in 2000 in the United States, according to two studies published in the January/February issue of the Allan Guttmacher Institute’s journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. The reports provide the first national estimates for the prevalence and costs of STDs among young people. Access the report at www.kaisernetwork.org

New Urban Coalition Report: Balancing Worlds: Voices of Adolescence

A new report released by The Urban Coalition offers insight on the strength and resilience of young people. Balancing Worlds: Voices of Adolescence provides a glimpse into the lives of teenagers of color and American Indian teenagers. To obtain a copy of the report, contact The Urban Coalition, 612.348.8550 or view publications at www.urbancoalition.org.

Physical Education and Health Education Requirement Bill

This bill (SF 1882/HF 2209) would reinstate academic standards and instruction in physical education and health education, standards that the Minnesota Legislature eliminated in 2003 when it established a new high school graduation requirement system. The lead organizer for this bill is the American Heart Association/Greater Midwest Affiliate and the bill is also supported by numerous organizations, including MOAPPP. The lead authors for the bill are Senator David Tommassoni (Chissolm-05) and Representative Dean Urdahl (Grove City-18B). The Senate Education Committee will hear this bill on Thursday, March 4 at 3:30 in State Capitol, Room 15. To read the full text of the bill, go to www.senate.leg.state.mn.us

Domestic Violence Resource for Teachers

Now available from the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse (MINCAVA) electronic clearinghouse. “Children Exposed To Domestic Violence: A Teacher’s Handbook to Increase Understanding and Improve Community Response” explains the impact of violence on children and provides help for teachers in responding to students who are victims of violence. This resource is available to download by visiting www.lfcc.on.ca

National Survey of Latinos: Education

This survey examines Latinos’ attitudes toward a variety of education issues including: standardized testing, public schools and the No Child Left Behind Act. Additionally, the survey examines differences among whites and African Americans who were similarly polled on education issues, revealing considerable diversity of opinion among the nation’s major ethnic and racial groups. The full findings of the “National Survey of Latinos: Education” can be found at www.kff.org. For additional information please call the Kaiser Family Foundation at (650) 854-9400.

Youth and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The report “Our Voices, Our Lives, Our Futures: Youth and Sexually Transmitted Diseases” is available from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, www.jomc.unc.edu. Be sure to look at the “Solutions” section that begins on page 19.

Homelessness in Minnesota

A new report just released by Wilder Research on homelessness in Minnesota has important data on sexual abuse and other violence. To view the entire report, go to www.wilder.org

After-School Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has released “A Good Time: After-School Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy”. To view the report, go to www.teenpregnancy.org.

Sexuality Education for Life Coalition E-Alerts

To receive updates on the 2004 Legislative session, the bills, and more sign up for the Sexuality Education for Life Coalition E-Alerts, Email Joy R. Miciano at [email protected] to be added to the list. Also, come to the SEFL Member Brown Bag meetings-every other Friday during the session. The nnext SEFL Member Brown Bag is Friday, March 5, 12:00-1:00 at the Transportation Building Cafeteria (southwest of the State Capitol).