Indiana Senate kills controversial school curriculum bill after finding 'no path forward'

IPB News | By Jeanie Lindsay

Published January 14, 2022 at 6:11 PM EST

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said in the statement lawmakers continued to work on the bill, but could not find a path forward for SB 167.

The Indiana Senate will no longer consider a controversial school curriculum and transparency bill.

Senate Bill 167 was the subject of a nearly eight hour public hearing during the Senate education committee's first meeting this year.

The bill would have required schools to create parent-led curriculum review committees. It would have also placed restrictions around how teachers talk about issues like race, religion and politics, among other things.

But in an emailed, one-sentence statement sent Friday, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) said members of his caucus "have determined there is no path forward" for the bill and that it will no longer be considered.

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The announcement comes after a House committee made changes to and advanced its version of the bill earlier in the week, and the Senate education committee removed its bill from the agenda Wednesday.

It's unclear what the Senate's decision means for the future of the House bill.

Contact reporter Jeanie at jlindsa@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @jeanjeanielindz.