Lawmakers reintroduce divisive concepts bill

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Alabama representatives reintroduced a divisive concepts bill. This legislation bans concepts related to race, religion, sex, and ethnicity from being taught in public classrooms. A similar ban is already in the Alabama School Code, and this would cement it into law.

This was one of the last bills up for debate in the previous legislative session, and now it’s the 7th house bill that was filed, and Rep. Ed Oliver is the sponsor again.

“Make sure that parents and kids get what they’re paying for in a school,” said Oliver.

According to the bill text, divisive concepts are

That any race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior.
That individual should be discriminated against or adversely treated solely because of their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
That the individual moral character of an individual is solely determined by his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
That solely by virtue of an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, the individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously.
That individuals, by virtue of race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
That fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to a race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, or to members of a race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, solely on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.
That any individual should be asked to accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize solely on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin

“Basically, it’s designed to protect kids and teachers. We’re trying to enhance the classroom experience without letting all these influences from the past couple of years interfere with education,” said Oliver. “Just a woke ideology.”

The drafted bill does not have specifics, but Oliver says this bill is not an attack on Black history.

“It’s a bipartisan bill nationwide,” he said.

One worry for House Minority Leader Representative Anthony Daniels is how this will impact the state’s teacher shortage.

“Cause a further divide of individuals being not being interested in having the academic freedom that they should have when they’re when they’re teaching,” he said.

We also added clause,” said Oliver, “Which gives teachers a pass if somebody makes an accusation

The 2023 regular legislation session starts in March.

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