A bill that could have allowed public and open enrollment charter schools to place limitations on teaching certain aspects about racism failed in a Senate committee on Monday.
By a vote of 4-3, the Senate Education Committee did not get the five votes needed to advance House Bill 1761.
The legislation, which underwent significant changes through an amendment process, would have given schools the ability to prohibit materials, lessons or teachings on racism that fell under a list of five ideas. Those included that an individual from any race or ethnicity is "inherently" racist or that the United States as a whole is systemically racist.
In presenting the bill to the committee, Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, spoke specifically on the part of the bill that prohibits teaching that the county is systemically racist.
"Racism is a disease, but does it invade every element of the organism, every element of the system, and I would say no," Lowery said.
In questioning Lowery on the bill, Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, who is a former teacher, asked about a section of the bill prohibiting the teaching that any race or ethnicity should “feel guilt or shame” due to their ethnicity.
"This is where I think you’re absolutely tying the hands of teachers and students because I don’t even know how, if I were deciding as a teacher, trying to plan a lesson, that I’m not going to do something I don’t intend to do," Elliott said.
The bill will likely not be brought up again as the 2021 legislative session is set to adjourn Tuesday.
