Freshman GOP lawmakers cry foul after Gopal strikes out amid pushback of new sex-ed standards

Freshman GOP lawmakers cry foul after Gopal strikes out amid pushback of new sex-ed standards

TRENTON, N.J. – Assemblywomen Kim Eulner and Marilyn Piperno are calling out Sen. Vin Gopal on his latest effort to revise New Jersey’s planned sex education classes.

The assemblywomen say his bill, announced on Tuesday, is damage control for Democrats in response to the justifiable growing outrage from parents across the state. Gopal says he plans to introduce the bill to “bring clarity for all parents and guardians regarding their child’s health and sex education curriculum.”

Marilyn Piperno

“Parents should have been involved in this disastrous sex-ed curriculum discussion from the beginning,” Piperno (R-Monmouth) said. “And now, only after parents are rightfully outraged, Vin is backpedaling once again.”

The assemblywomen said Gopal has a history of rewriting his voting record on important legislative issues. In 2018, he voted in favor of legislation that cut millions of dollars in funding for Monmouth County schoolchildren, only to call for a revamp of the school funding formula in 2022.

“It only took him four years to realize these cuts were hurting our children and our communities,” Piperno added.

In 2020, Gopal voted in favor of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act. After an outcry from parents who realized there was a provision that deterred police officers from notifying them if their children were caught drunk or high, he sponsored an amendment requiring such notification.

Kim Eulner

“Now, for a third time, Senator Gopal is walking back dangerous policy decisions that hurt our children. We need to hold him accountable for supporting bad legislation,” said Eulner (R-Monmouth). “Strike one, he voted to cut funding for our Monmouth County schools. Strike two was the marijuana bill that blindsided parents. Strike three is his weak proposal to fix the inappropriate and outrageous sex-ed standards. Three strikes…It’s time to call Vin out.”