Well, well, the last two days have been pretty exciting as well as a little stressful as we have shepherded SB623-HB580 through the legislative process.  This is the bill that, as amended, has become the vehicle to prohibit Critical Race Theory (CRT) from CONTINUING to be taught in Tennessee. Yes it is here!!

Is this proposal perfect?  Probably not! This is an issue that literally has EXPLODED across the state in the past two or three weeks right at the very end of the legislative session and lawmakers who want to do good and do well are working hard on it. 

I have seen criticism of the legislation on Facebook. It is VERY easy to be an armchair quarterback about what should and should not happen.  Please keep in mind that after we get this passed to get the ball rolling, we can always tweak it when the General Assembly convenes in 2022.

On May 4, 2021, HB580-SB623 passed the House floor 69-23-1:
         Representatives voting aye were: Alexander, Baum, Boyd, Bricken, Calfee, Campbell S, Carr, Carringer, Casada, Cepicky, Cochran, Crawford, Curcio, Darby, Doggett, Eldridge, Faison, Farmer, Gant, Garrett, Gillespie, Grills, Halford, Hall, Haston, Hawk, Hazlewood, Helton, Hicks G, Hicks T, Holsclaw, Howell, Hurt, Johnson C, Keisling, Kumar, Lafferty, Lamberth, Leatherwood, Littleton, Lynn, Marsh, Moody, Moon, Ogles, Powers, Ragan, Ramsey, Reedy, Rudd, Rudder, Russell, Sexton J, Sherrell, Smith, Sparks, Terry, Todd, Travis, Vaughan, Warner, Weaver, White, Whitson, Williams, Windle, Wright, Zachary, Mr. Speaker Sexton C -- 69.
         Representatives voting no were: Beck, Camper, Chism, Clemmons, Dixie, Freeman, Hakeem, Hardaway, Harris, Hodges, Jernigan, Johnson G, Lamar, Love, Mannis, McKenzie, Miller, Mitchell, Parkinson, Powell, Shaw, Stewart, Towns -- 23.
         Representatives present and not voting were: Thompson -- 1..
 

Yesterday, HB580, as amended, passed the House Floor 69-23-1, and was sent to the Senate. Now for the detail wonks like me - remember on April 1, SB623 with the original amendment passed the Senate Floor 33-0, and the Senate Education committee is closed.

Some lawmakers wanted to make come changes, so when the House bill went to the Senate floor for them to "concur" with House amendment, they refused.  The bill then went back to the House for them to :recede from their action", and they refused. 

It was this action that put the legislation into a CONFERENCE COMMITTEE so that a few legislators from each body could work on the language, then bring it back to each chamber for the final vote.

Now, here is the rub, we don't know what will be added, so please contact your Senator and House member one more time asking them to finish this process and not play any games with something this important.

Click on the graphic to send an email with a new message of encouragement to your Senator and House member. Please do it now!!

Tennessee House Passes Bill Banning Critical Race Theory from K-12 Schools

May 5, 2021 Corinne Murdock

On Tuesday, the Tennessee House passed a bill effectively banning critical race theory (CRT) in K-12 schools. The bill doesn't mention CRT explicitly, but it does prohibits CRT's main tenets - such as the belief that America is fundamentally and systemically racist, and that an individual can be inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive based on their race or sex.

During the third and final hearing before the House, State Representative John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) gave a lengthy speech expounding on the fundamental founding principles of our country.

"[I]t is time that we support educating our children in fixing what is wrong with America with what is right with America," said Ragan. "We must create an educational climate where every student is an individual, not just part of some group. Moreover, that educational climate must teach students that they can realize their own unique dreams through hard work and meritorious achievement."

The CRT ban was introduced through a last-minute House amendment on Monday. As The Tennessee Star reported on Tuesday, Ragan introduced the amendment after receiving "quite a number" of constituent emails concerning the presence and impact of CRT components in Tennessee schools.

Ragan explained that the bill was originally filed as a "cleanup bill" addressing inconsistent wording between newer and older legislation, petty grammar and spelling mistakes, outdated references, and clarity issues. He asserted that this bill banning CRT would offer further clarity about Tennessee's educational standards.

"Unfortunately, there are those self-appointed guardians of equity among us who deludedly seek to make our union far less perfect," said Ragan. "In shameless pursuit of political power, these misguided souls leverage social, cultural, and religious powers to fracture our indivisible nation. To create artificial divisions among us, these self-styled noble champions of the oppressed unashamedly distort and twist the truth."

If you want to listen to the entire hour and a half debate on the bill, you can do that HERE.  Rep John Ragan did an excellent and impressive job of presenting and defending his legislation, and it is worth hearing.  One special presentation I would highly recommend is going to 1:34:36 on the time line and listening to the thoughts of Rep. Justin Lafferty.  He brought tears to my eyes.