Lawmakers Back For New Legislative Session

Lawmakers will be heading back to Nashville next week to get ready for the new legislative session, which begins Tuesday, January 14. One bill that has been filed and will be debated is one that would allow the Ten Commandments to be placed in schools in Tennessee. The bill, filed last month by Republican Rep. Michael Hale, of Smithville, would allow the Ten Commandments, as well as the Declaration of Independence, the U. S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution of Tennessee and “other historically significant documents” to be displayed in public schools and public charter schools. The bill says the documents should be displayed in a “prominent” location to “educate students on the historical significance and common culture heritage” the documents represent for the students, schools, state or country. the bill also says schools that participate would be furnished the documents for free. The bill being introduced by Hale is similar to laws now in place in Oklahoma and Louisiana.