MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – The Alabama Senate last week passed Senate Bill 209, legislation that would require public schools to teach “sexual risk avoidance” to students.

The bill prohibits classes from providing information about contraceptive materials or teaching students how to access contraception.

Under the proposed curriculum, students would be taught to avoid all types of sexual content. Supporters argue the measure would help prevent teens from participating in sexual activity and enable them to make informed decisions about their health.

“It really helps to educate students on the risks of promiscuous or early sexual behavior and what those outcomes can be, and helps them make good decisions,” said Becky Gerritson, executive director of Eagle Forum of Alabama. “It’s just a very broad scope curriculum, and we’re very happy that it is moving forward.”

Opponents of the bill say the abstinence-only approach will cause more harm than good. They argue that comprehensive sex education, which includes information about contraception and safe sex practices, better serves students by providing them with all available options.

“You can tell teenagers all you want to not have sex, but they’re not necessarily going to listen to that, and I feel like the better approach to that is giving them a comprehensive sex education where they really understand the risks of whatever behavior they choose to do and they can understand how to engage in that safely,” said Srushti Sai Talluri, a University of Alabama at Birmingham public health graduate student.

According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, sexually transmitted infections rank as the sixth greatest current health concern in Alabama, with STI rates increasing every year, particularly among those aged 15 to 24.

Talluri emphasized that comprehensive education aims to give students the tools to make responsible choices rather than simply telling them what to do.

“The point of this education is not to tell students what to do or what not to do, but to provide them with all of the options so they can make an informed, responsible decision for themselves,” Talluri said.

Supporters of SB 209 counter that the curriculum they advocate teaches students about the risks of sexual activity to help them make good decisions that will benefit them into adulthood.

“We are trying to show them how risky behaviors can have great, detrimental effects all into adulthood,” Gerritson said.

Under current Alabama law and the proposed SB 209, parents would be able to opt their children out of sexual education if they choose. Sexual education is not currently mandated in Alabama, though students in grades 5-12 are required to learn about HIV and AIDS through their health classes.

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A Baldwin County first grader has won the Alabama Black Belt Big Buck Photo Contest after receiving more than 1,600 online votes for his Dallas County buck harvest.

Bubba Williams and his 6-year-old son, Cason, regularly travel from Bay Minette to Alabama’s Black Belt to hunt deer together. Their 2025-26 season began with a father-son trip to Dallas County during the mid-November youth hunting weekend.

“We knew there was a big six-point in the area,” Bubba Williams said. “We were waiting on him to step out, but then this big eight-point showed up.”

Cason, a first grader at Pine Grove Elementary School in Bay Minette, harvested the eight-point buck, creating what his family described as a memorable start to the season.

Bubba Williams entered a photo of his son with the deer into the 14th annual Alabama Black Belt Big Buck Photo Contest, sponsored by the Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association (ALBBAA). The image received more online votes than any other submission, securing first place.

As the contest winner, Cason received a $100 gift card and a copy of Black Belt Bounty, a coffee table book featuring wildlife photography, outdoor essays, and hunting and fishing traditions. Buckmasters also provided a hat, buck knife, and a one-year subscription to Buckmasters Magazine.

Cason’s photo received more than 1,600 votes. Addison Bridges, an 18-year-old Wallace Community College student from Selma, finished second with about 1,000 votes. Braxton Lee, an 8-year-old student at Ivy Classical Academy in Prattville, finished third with 239 votes.

Contest organizers reported more than 125 entries and thousands of online votes. All of the top three photos featured bucks harvested in Dallas County, located in Alabama’s Black Belt region.

“Our photo contests are designed to highlight the amazing hunting opportunities that so many people enjoy right here in the Black Belt,” ALBBAA director Pam Swanner said.

“It’s always gratifying to see photos that commemorate family memories, and it’s extra special knowing this year’s winner came from a father-son hunt.”

“We want to thank everyone who participated and submitted entries into the contest and everybody who cast an online vote,” Swanner continued. “The Black Belt offers the very best hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation activities, and we want our photo contests to celebrate that tradition.”

ALBBAA officials said the organization’s annual Big Gobbler Photo Contest will launch next month and continue through the end of Alabama’s spring turkey season.

The Black Belt region includes 23 counties: Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, and Wilcox. Known nationally for its rich wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation, the region plays a major role in Alabama’s hunting tradition and rural tourism economy.

The Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association promotes outdoor recreation and tourism across the region, supporting local economies and preserving Alabama’s hunting and fishing traditions.

 Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].