The Tennessee State House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday 68-21 that requires high school students to be taught the virtues of capitalism and the constitutional republic form of government.
HB2742, sponsored by State Representative Dennis Powers (R-Jacksboro), “requires that high school students be taught about the virtues of capitalism and the constitutional republic form of government in the United States and Tennessee, as compared to other political and economic systems such as communism and socialism, as part of the social studies curriculum.”
When the legislation came up for a floor vote on Monday, State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) objected on the floor. After the bill was approved, in a tweet Johnson compared its passage to a fictional passage of a bill teaching the virtues of fascism.
Now the GOP cut off debate on teaching the “virtues of capitalism” instead of teaching comparison and contrast on all government systems. Pretty sure we aren’t far away from them passing a bill to teach the virtues of fascism
The brief text of the legislation reads as follows:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1028(b)(2), is amended by designating the existing language as subdivision (A) and adding the following as a new subdivision: (B) Students in grades nine through twelve (9-12) must be taught about the virtues of capitalism and the constitutional republic form of government in the United States and Tennessee, as compared to other political and economic systems such as communism and socialism.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it, and applies to the 2022-2023 school year and each school year thereafter.
The Tennessee General Assembly staff fiscal note on the legislation says that the cost of the legislation to the Tennessee taxpayer is “Not Significant.”
The bill is now in the hands of the Senate.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
Photo “Dennis Powers” by Tennessee General Assembly. Background Photo “Classroom” by Wakondapix.
