NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says he remains opposed to a resurrected effort to make the Holy Bible the official state book of Tennessee.
The governor told reporters at the state Capitol on Wednesday that while he considers the Bible the most important book in his life, he has the same reservations about the measure that he did before the bill was derailed in the state Senate last year.
Sen. Steve Southerland revived the measure this week, and it is has advanced to a full floor vote. The Morristown Republican says the measure is meant to honor the historical significance of the Bible and not as a state endorsement of religion.
But the state's attorney general warned last year that the bill would run afoul of both the U.S. and state constitutions.