In an effort to finish its business for the year, the Tennessee General Assembly is shedding bills like a fall tree sheds leaves.
Legislators are unlikely to say they haven’t had enough time to consider specific pieces of legislation, but several of their recent actions seemed akin to sending an angry email before you’ve counted to 10 and reconsidered it.
One of those was the 55-38 House vote Wednesday to make the Bible the official state book. Fortunately, the Senate wisely voted 22-9 on Thursday to send the bill back to a Senate committee, effectively killing it for the year.
Had it passed the Senate and eventually become law, the bill would have so trivialized the inspired word of God that it became a line in the Tennessee Blue Book – alongside the state amphibian.
Neither a negative opinion from Attorney General Herbert Slattery nor opposition from Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, House Speaker Beth Harwell, and Republican leaders Rep. Gerald McCormick and Sen. Mark Norris made much difference in the House.