INDIANAPOLIS — This year's legislative session is now at its halfway point.
Lawmakers in the House finished up their first half of session on Monday, passing 111 bills and one joint resolution.
Tuesday was the deadline for the Senate to pass bills.
Senators spent the whole day in session, passing 30 bills, some that dealt with education.
Senate Bill 128 would give school boards the final say on lessons in sex education.
Under the bill, school boards must hold a public meeting and approve the material used to teach sexuality. Districts must also publish those materials on the district's website, along with what topics will be discussed.
"I don't want a school board telling me and a professional who's going to teach the class, what they should be using to teach my child human sexuality," said State Sen. Greg Taylor, D-District 33. "Could it be the Bible? I don't know. Could it be some book that we never heard of before? I don't know, because now the school board gets to determine what material they use to teach human sexuality."
Another bill dealing with education that also passed would require schools to establish a truancy prevention policy for students in grades K-6.
Senate Bill 282 also called for an interim study committee to look at the state's truancy numbers.
When it comes to public safety, Senate Bill 240 passed. It would increase the penalties for drivers blocking streets to drive around in circles, called "spinning."
Senators also voted to pass Senate Bill 253 that would requires the owner of a pier or public access site on Lake Michigan to install public rescue equipment, including at least one ring life buoy. The bill's author, State Sen. Rodney Pol, D-District 4, said it was in response to a child drowning when no rescue equipment was readily available to try and save him.
The second half of session starts on Monday, when lawmakers in both chambers will take up bills passed by the other legislative body.