STATEHOUSE (Jan. 29, 2026) — A bill authored by State Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) that would require public schools to incorporate successful values into their curriculum passed out of the Senate today by a vote of 39-9.
Senate Bill 88 would require schools to teach about the "success sequence" of obtaining a high school diploma, securing full time employment and waiting until marriage to begin having children.
Additionally, it would require Indiana's public universities to accept the Classic Learning Test results in the same way the schools accept ACT and SAT results for admission purposes.
"Studies have shown that if students obtain a high school diploma, get a full time job and wait to have kids until after they are married, they have a 97% chance of avoiding poverty," Byrne said. "This bill would teach our students how important this is so that they can live successful lives."
The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Byrne encourages residents of Senate District 47 to contact him with any questions or comments they may have. Byrne can be reached by filling out a "Contact Me" form online at www.IndianaSenateRepublicans.com/Byrne or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) represents Senate District 47,
which includes Harrison and Washington counties, and most of Floyd County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
