I had the privilege of substitute teaching in an aide position last week for the sweetest preschool class. There is nothing like children drawing pictures for you and calling you “teacher” all day. The laughter, the smiles, the energy, and yes, the drama – make it a worthwhile effort. These tiny humans have vital concerns such as who cuts in line, ice cream day, and who is fastest on the playground.
In other words, they are being KIDS. And if the Alabama Legislature will do its job, it can help protect this innocent time in their lives.
Alabamians used to be able to expect a few things from a GOP-controlled legislature – hard passes on gambling bills, a decent amount of fiscal responsibility, and always choosing to protect children. But those days are in the rearview mirror.
Two worthwhile bills are being brought back to the Alabama Legislature this session. One is reintroduced by Rep. Mack Butler (R-Rainbow City). House Bill 244 bans discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in K-12 public school classrooms. This bill failed to clear the Senate last year because our legislature currently cares about one thing—pushing gambling on Alabamians and misusing our taxpayer money.
Butler’s bill also bans pride flags from being displayed by teachers or students. How this indoctrination ever made it into classrooms – which DISTRACTS from academic learning – is beyond me. As of 2025, Alabama’s eighth-grade students continue struggling in math and reading with scores placing us almost dead last nationally. Reading scores improved from an abysmal 49th to 47th in 2024. State Superintendent Eric Mackey declares he is worried about the continually low eighth-grade results. Alabama’s State Board of Education is trying to give him a 55% raise to reward this level of chronic insufficiency.
Clearly, academic issues are more important than gender discussions and sexual themes in K-12 classrooms. One hopes that legislators will champion this commonsense bill so that educators can laser-focus on our academic shortfalls.
But the classroom is just one of the many places they are failing our children. According to 1819 News, State Rep. Arnold Mooney (R-Indian Springs) has re-filed legislation to repeal Alabama’s current law allowing schools and public libraries to display certain obscene materials, such as “My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness” or “Let’s Talk about It (sex)” in the CHILDREN’S section. That this failed to pass in 2024 shines a light on the rot in Montgomery.
House Bill 4 would apply criminal obscenity laws to public libraries and public school libraries. For years, parents and public libraries across Alabama have been fighting over sexually explicit books in the children’s sections. Clean Up Alabama (CUA) is a group formed to hold libraries and legislators accountable. CUA claims that some legislators are feigning support for this bill and are all talk and no action. If legislators truly intended to pass it, it seems they would have in 2024.
This bill would also add an important definition of sexual conduct. According to the new definition, no minor unaccompanied by an adult should be exposed to any sexual or gender-oriented conduct, presentation, or activity that exposes that minor to a person who is dressed provocatively, sexually, or is stripping or involved in lewd dancing. If this were to happen, criminal penalties could apply to the librarian or school employee who neglects to respond to a parental complaint within 15 business days. And the school or library would need to move obscene material away from the children’s section, cease any lewd or inappropriate activity within the library, and send a letter to the parent or guardian detailing what action has been taken.
If I had five minutes to speak to the Alabama Legislature, I would say this: Normal people don’t sexualize children. Predators attempt to groom and sexualize children. Cowards refuse to stop the predators. Cowards and narcissists choose to value gambling bills over bills that protect Alabama’s children. The normal people are tired of the same old rhetoric coming out of Montgomery. And we will call, write, pray, post and primary you to protect the innocence of our kids.
Whether the legislators pass these two bills or pass on them again will speak volumes about their character. Whether we continue to let them bypass our best interests will speak volumes about ours.
Kristin Landers is a substitute teacher and freelance writer. Landers’ previous work includes serving as Communications Director for the Alabama Policy Institute and working for Citizens Against a Legalized Lottery (CALL) to defeat legalized gambling in the state of Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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