Skip to main content
Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12

This story is exclusive to subscribers.

Opinion: State book list, on way to governor, will trivialize the Bible

Contributed Photo / The (Aitken) Bible is just one of 10 publications that soon may become Tennessee state books.
Contributed Photo / The (Aitken) Bible is just one of 10 publications that soon may become Tennessee state books. Contributed Photo / The (Aitken) Bible is just one of 10 publications that soon may become Tennessee state books.

They finally did it. They found a way to trivialize the Bible in Tennessee.

After years of attempting to make the Bible the official state book, state legislators figured if they grouped a version of the Bible with a bunch of other books — some not even books — with some (or no) specific relation to Tennessee they might get enough votes to pass the measure.

They did, with the House passing the bill 73-18 and the Senate approving it 26-6.

All five members of the Hamilton County House delegation, including Democrat Yusuf Hakeem, voted for the bill. State Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, also voted for it, but state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, abstained.

The legislation now goes to the desk of Gov. Bill Lee, who has not said whether he planned to sign in.