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.
[…] Star previously reported that when the legislation came up for House floor consideration on March 28, State Representative […]
[…] Star previously reported that when the legislation came up for House floor consideration on March 28, State Rep. Gloria […]
[…] Star previously reported that when the legislation came up for House floor consideration on March 28, State Representative […]
Gloria Johnson should again read the bill. It states teaching the virtues of capitalism COMPARED to other political and economical systems.
I have been teaching at the high school level for 33 years and I go out of my way every year teaching the virtues of capitalism (and the evils of socialism/communism). Glad to hear it will soon be law for all teachers. By the way, I am deeply ashamed that Gloria Johnson is my state Rep. Hope to God – she is soon voted out.
Free, unbridled capitalism helped cause the mess we are in with crooked bankers and stock brokers swindling the rest of us out of our savings. How will your Virtuous Capitalist public school courses teach about NAFTA laying off many of the parents and grand-parents of our school children? How will this proposed course explain our rotted infrastructure of rails, highways, sidewalks, plumbings, etc.? How will it explain greed of the plutocrats who practically own Tennessee?
I agree with Chris, however, isn’t a shame that we have to even talk about “codifying” stuff like this? He should just show these kids the statistics about how many people are trying to get into get into Russia, China or Venezuela each year, versus the USA.
Of course, making it the law and getting the socialist run TN Department of Education and the entire school system to do it are two different things!
This is great.
Makes me proud to be a Tennessean.
And should dissuade liberals from moving here as refugees from their failing progressive states.