Georgia GOP senators seek to ban sexually explicit books from school libraries, reduce sex education

Republican senators in Georgia want to cull sexually explicit books from schools, ban sex education for younger students, display the Ten Commandments in classrooms and allow religious chaplains to counsel teachers and students.

The measures, which passed Senate committees Wednesday, could spark contentious debate ahead of a key legislative deadline next week. Many of them mimic measures passed in other states, part of a broad GOP effort to reshape education.

It’s not clear if the bills would be favorably received in Georgia's traditionally more moderate House. But even if they don't pass, they will give Republican senators a chance to display their conservative stripes in an election year where some could face primary challenges.

Here’s a look at the measures, each of which will go to the full Senate for consideration:

SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIALS

Public schools would be banned from acquiring any materials that depict sex acts after Dec. 1 under Senate Bill 394, dubbed the “Clean Libraries Act” by its sponsor, Senate Education Committee Chairman Clint Dixon.

“It has to do with sexual content in books,” said Dixon, a Buford Republican. “Heterosexual, homosexual, any of that, we don’t want to expose our kids to any of that when they’re minors.”

The measure passed by the Education Committee would ban distribution of any sexual materials to students in sixth grade and below and restrict them for seventh grade and above. At least some materials deemed necessary for teaching could be accessed by older students with written parental permission.

The rules would apply to books, videos, sound recordings, websites or other electronic material. “Materials of great religious or historical significance” may be exempt if they don’t