The state will allow parents to decide whether their children should learn more about sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptiion than is typically taught in public schools under a bill that passed the House in a 60-55 vote Thursday.

The bill, which now goes to Gov. Beverly Perdue for her signature, schools would continue to offer sex ed that stresses abstinence, Lynn Bonner reports.

But beginning in 2010, schools must also include information on STDs, the safety and effectiveness of all FDA approved contraceptive methods in preventing pregancy, and information on sexual assault, sexual abuse and risk reduction. Parents who do not want their children to learn more than the abstinence-based curriculum can remove them from that part of the course.

The additional instruction would end the state policy enacted in 1995 that required an abstinence-based curriculum. To teach comprehensive sex education, school districts must go through a public deliberation that includes a hearing and a public examination of instructional materials.

Senators approved a bill imposing new requirements for sex education in state schools Tuesday, requiring comprehensive courses that go beyond demanding abstinence. The bill would allow parents to keep their children out of the broader classes.

The bill's backers contend youths need more information than the birds and bees equivalent of "just say no," rattling off statistics about teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease to bolster their case.

"We need to make sure they're getting good information," said Sen. Malcolm Graham, a Charlotte Democrat, "not from the Internet, not from radio, not from television."

Critics have charged that current law gives local school systems plenty of latitude to provide comprehensive sex education and some already do. They warn that the legislation opens the door for instruction on mutual masturbation, sexual activity short of intercourse and families with two mothers or two fathers.

The Senate voted 25 to 21, and the bill now goes back to the House to agree or reject changes made by the Senate.

The state Senate has reworked a public school sex education bill from the House that had given parents the choice between two levels of explanation.

The measure for students in grades seven through nine was approved Wednesday by the Senate Mental Health and Youth Services Committee, the Associated Press reports.

It would require all school systems to offer curricula promoting sexual abstinence outside of marriage. Districts also would be required to offer an optional program focusing on the effectiveness of contraceptives and preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Rep. Susan Fisher of Buncombe County is the sponsor of the House version of the bill. She says the House version would make it more likely for students to get more accurate information about sex.

The bill now goes to the full Senate.

Legislative Republican leaders are preparing for big fights this week over two battleground bills.

The Healthy Youth Act, which allows parents to choose between "abstinence only" and "comprehensive" sex ed programs, is scheduled for a hearing in a Senate committee. The bill previously cleared the House. 

The School Violence Prevention Act, which seeks to stop bullying in schools is set to be heard in House committees. Republicans object to the bill because it defines classes of victims and includes actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

"These bills are part of the radical left's social agenda and show how legislative Democrats have abandoned traditional North Carolina values," Sen. Phil Berger, the Senate minority leader, said.

House minority leader Rep. Paul Stam said Republicans will try to amend the bullying bill so that it states flatly that all bullying is wrong without classes of victims.

What did the House pass by crossover?

Here are some of the more interesting bills that made it past the upper chamber before the deadline to be considered by the Senate:

H.B. 9: Bans texting while driving.

H.B. 88: Allows parents to choose comprehensive sex ed for their children.

H.B. 813: Allows people to collect money from negligence lawsuits even if they are somewhat at fault as well.

H.B. 961: Bans campaign contributions from officers of companies that have state contracts.

H.B. 1185: Allows habitual drunk drivers to get their licenses restored after 10 years with some conditions.

More after the jump.

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* N.C. Republican Party chair candidate Chad Adams to have a meet-in-greet Wednesday in Raleigh at the home of Pat McCrory's sister.

* House Speaker Joe Hackney tells legislators they're going to have to stick around on Friday to get work done before crossover.

* Sex ed bill briefly delayed by Chapel Hill/Carrboro schools, which have a more progressive policy that they want grandfathered in.

* Gov. Beverly Perdue lobbies Democratic Party chair to bring the 2012 national convention to Charlotte; first state to express interest.

* Duke law professor Christopher Schroeder is the leading candidate to head a U.S. Justice Department office on legal policy.

* WUNC's Laura Leslie highlights an interesting floor speech during the sex ed debate from Rep. Arthur Williams, whose wife is a nurse.

* Asheville Citizen-Times' Jordan Schrader highlights a few other moments from the "For Mature Audiences" discussion on the House floor.

* A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Richard Burr re-opens a fight with liberal talk show host Rachel Maddow over the banking and veterans stories.

The House adopted a bill Thursday that would allow parents to choose the sexual education courses their children will receive in school.

The bill, which passed the House 62 to 52, would expand the abstince-only curriculum currently taught to middle school students to include "comprehensive" instruction. That course would still be based on the idea that abstince is the best way the avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. But supporters say it would be a more complete curriculum that would be more effective than abstinence-only.

"I got a 42-year-old son. I love him," said Rep. Bill Faison, an Orange County Democrat who is 62. "But the reason I got a 42-year-old son is abstinence only doesn't work."

Opponents said they feared the bill would encourage teens to experiment with sex.

"The result, I believe, will be an increase in sexual activity in the adolescent population that I believe will put our adolescent teens more at risk," said Rep. Mark Hilton, a Conover Republican.

The bill now moves to the Senate.

* Alt-weekly writer Bob Geary says U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's campaign skills are "fair-to-middling," Attorney General Roy Cooper's "unproven."

* N.C. House narrowly approves second reading of bill to allow comprehensive sex education in high schools, with some amendments.

* Gov. Beverly Perdue appoints Sherry Dew Tyler, law partner of state Sen. R.C. Soles, to District Court in Eastern Carolina.

* U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan sponsors a bill that would require funding of veterans hospitals on a two-year cycle to reduce financial uncertainty.