The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Source:
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 02:41 PM
Tennessee Passes Bill Requiring Schools To Display "In God We Trust"
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, overwhelmingly passed the state House on Monday with 81 of the 99 members voting in favor of it. Before the vote, the Republican lawmaker spoke from the House floor about the prominence of the phrase.
"Our national motto is on our money. It's on our license plates. It's part of our national anthem," Lynn said. "Our national motto and founding documents are the cornerstone of freedom and we should teach our children about these things."
The bill requires schools display the
motto in a prominent location where students are likely to see it, like
a school entryway, cafeteria or common area. It offers more freedom on
what form it takes, suggesting that it could be a mounted plaque or
student artwork.
"In God We Trust" became the national motto in 1956, but it first
appeared on the two-cent coin in 1864, according to the U.S. Department
of the Treasury. It was first placed on coins largely because of
increased religious sentiment during the Civil War.
"In God We Trust" bills, like those calling to add the motto to license
plates and require the posting of it in public buildings, periodically
crop up in legislatures across the U.S. These proposed statutes tend to
pit Republicans and conservative Christians against secular activists
and supporters of the separation of church and state.
Laws requiring the display of "In God We Trust" in schools are already
on the books in other states.
The Tennessee legislation appears to be a part of a wave of similar "In
God We Trust" bills under consideration this year by state lawmakers
across the country. Like-minded legislation has popped up in Arkansas,
Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming, according to news
reports.
There's an effort in Alabama to display the national motto on public
property. An Arizona lawmaker proposed posting the state motto "Ditat
Deus" or its English translation "God enriches" in classrooms.
The Tennessee State Senate unanimously passed the "In God We Trust" in
schools legislation earlier this month. Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, is
the bill's Senate sponsor.
If Gov. Bill Haslam signs it into law, it will take effect immediately.