Tennessean: “A resolution designating the Bible as the state book cleared a House committee Tuesday morning despite constitutional concerns from several lawmakers.
HJR150, carried by Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, would include the Bible in the Tennessee Blue Book next to a list of other state symbols. This is his third attempt to designate the Bible as the state book.
The bill has raised constitutional concerns in the past. A 2015 state attorney general opinion found the designation in violation of the state constitution. Former Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican and Christian, vetoed the bill and argued the legislation “trivializes” the Bible as a “book of historical and economic significance.”
Similar to Sexton’s previous arguments, the resolution emphasizes the importance of the Bible in reflecting family heritage and stresses the economic impact of the state’s Bible publishing industry.”