JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's sexual education curriculum would be expanded to include consent and sexual violence discussions under proposed legislation.
The Columbia Missourian reports that the House Children and Families Committee heard more than an hour of testimony Tuesday from 13 people in support of the bill. At least three members of the committee expressed strong support for the bill.
A group called the Associated Students of the University of Missouri lobbies for students in the four-campus system and reached out to Republican Rep. Holly Rehder, of Sikeston, to introduce the bill. The group's legislative director, Chelsea Spence, says the consent education is important because there are perpetrators on campuses who "don't know that they are a problem."
Sean Whiting of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Missouri says the state "needs to do more."