Governor Strickland wants to drop support for sexual abstinence programs. The governor says he's seen no evidence that the programs prevent teenagers from engaging in premarital sex.
Strickland has no plans to reapply for federal money for the programs, and the two-year budget he presented last week eliminates the state's usual 500-thousand dollars in matching funds.
Critics of abstinence education are praising the governor's proposal, while the director of the Abstinence Resource Centre in Dayton says the state has been a leader in promoting the approach and should stay the course.
Lawmakers who support abstinence education say Strickland's proposal could face considerable opposition in the Legislature.