Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., D-East Lansing, is sponsoring an 'affirmative consent' sex education bill. The bill failed last session, but with the support of First Lady, Sue Snyder, gives Sen. Hertel confidence.
Hertel told the Detroit News, "We need to change our culture, and by teaching kids to respect their partner and respect others' rights, autonomy and their body, I think we can help turn the tide on this problem that we have at all of our college campuses."
Although Sue Snyder's office is not taking a public position on the legislation, a spokesperson does say she is continuing to focus on being supportive of campus sexual assault survivors and raising awareness and prevention efforts in Michigan.
The plan introduced Tuesday, October 10, 2017, would not affect schools that don't teach sex education or change a waiver that parents can request for their kids to opt out of sex ed classes.
The plan would instruct students taking part in sex ed programs "about sexual assault and dating violence and prevention of sexual assault and dating violence," according to the bill.
The bill goes on to specify that "a lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent ad that silence does not mean consent." It continues saying that "consent must be ongoing throughout a sexual activity and can be revoked at any time."
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.