The Tennessee State House Education Committee passed a bill that would let public schools display the Ten Commandments and other historical American documents.
The committee passed House Bill (HB) 0047, introduced by State Representative Michael Hale (R-Smithville), by a 15-4 vote on Tuesday.
HB 0047 allows public schools the option of prominently displaying the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Tennessee Constitution, and other historical documents.
At the hearing, Hale said the Ten Commandments are “very foundational just as much as the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
“It is needed that our children go back to those foundational things that our country was founded on,” he explained.
The bill proposal defines a prominent location as a “school entryway, cafeteria, or common area where students are likely to see the display,” HB 0047 states.
The bill says the purpose of displaying these items is to “educate students on the historical significance and common cultural heritage the documents have on the principles of the [Local Education Agency] or public charter school, this state, or the United States of America.”
HB 0047 encourages local education agencies and public charter schools to display these historical documents on “wall posters or other hard copy, printed versions.”
The bill proposal said the local agencies and charter schools can determine the size of their displays.
Macy Fluharty, who has been previously affiliated with the left-wing Human Rights Campaign Nashville, spoke out against the bill at the hearing.
She said the American founders made a “strong separation between church and state.”
“Mixing a religious document with historical frameworks of this country’s foundation is a clear attempt to blur that line,” she noted.
Fluharty cited the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prevents the government from establishing an official religion.
“Intertwining a government entity like public schools with religious texts not only goes against our ethical foundation, but it is also a display of support for a religion by a government institution,” Fluharty stated.
She said the Supreme Court has previously held that displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools violates the Establishment Clause.
If government institutions start posting religious texts, then it denies “people their right to religious freedom,” she argued.
If the American founders saw what the Committee was attempting to do, they would “make sure” committee members “have no place in decision making for this country,” Fluharty claimed.
Katie Robertson, who represented Tennessee Legal Services, said the Supreme Court has “recognized public schools can provide education as it relates to the Bible when used appropriately for the study of history, civilization, ethics and comparative religion when it is taught in a secular purpose.”
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas have passed legislation requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments, Robertson noted.
She said lower courts have found these laws unconstitutional, but added that courts in Texas and Louisiana have hearings scheduled to consider appeals.
Robertson said HB 0047 takes a different legal approach than other state bills, giving schools the option rather than making it a requirement.
The other difference, according to Robertson, is that HB 0047’s primary purpose is education.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
