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The largest ever audience attended the Sundance Film Festival both online and in-person, according to officials from the nonprofit event. This story and more in the Tuesday morning news brief.
Tuesday morning, February 9, 2021
State
Teaching Consent
Democratic Rep. Carol Spackman Moss wants to make consent a part of Utah’s health education. Spackman Moss said that would give students the tools to protect themselves. Utah is an opt-in state, where parents have to sign off on their student’s health education. Dr. Kellie Woodfield, an OB-GYN at the University of Utah, said consent has to do with communication skills and boundary settings. “This concept of consent isn t limited to just sexual behavior, but actually encompasses a broader effort to teach children and adolescents about respecting the agency of others,” she said. “It’s so much more than refusal skills.” The bill received major pushback as many took issue with the description and expansion of consent.
Deseret News
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Steve Griffin, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY Mental health days would be excused absences from Utah schools under a bill endorsed by a legislative committee Friday.
The House Education Committee voted unanimously to send HB81 to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Other states that have made this allowance have experienced a reduction in youth suicide, according to HB81’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Winder, R-West Valley City.
“Here in the state of Utah, where we’re at sixth in the nation for youth suicides, anything we can do to save a life is important, especially in this pandemic where our kids are under pressure unlike ever before,” Winder said.
The House Education Committee voted unanimously to send HB81 to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Other states that have made this allowance have experienced a reduction in youth suicide, according to HB81 s sponsor, Rep. Mike Winder, R-West Valley City. Here in the state of Utah, where we re at sixth in the nation for youth suicides, anything we can do to save a life is important, especially in this pandemic where our kids are under pressure unlike ever before, Winder said.
He said the bill is supported by the Utah chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Utah School Counselor Association and the Libertas Institute.