Senate Committee Hears Censorship Bill

Senate Committee Hears Censorship Bill

Time Range For Action Alert: 
April 8, 2023 to May 11, 2023

your voice matters

H. 3728, the "Transparency and Integrity in Education Act" that seeks to ban discussions of race, gender, sexual orientation, and some aspects of American history is tentatively scheduled for the full Senate Education Committee on April 12.

This public school censorship bill creates unnecessary risks for social studies teachers, includes unreasonable mandates for schools, and creates a process that encourages unfounded complaints against teachers and schools. If this bill becomes law, it will drive even more qualified candidates away from public education as a career choice. 

Please urge the committee to either vote against this bill or remove its harmful components.

Key legislators

Senate Education Committee: Greg Hembree (Chair), Karl Allen, Richard Cash, Larry Grooms, Brad Hutto, Darrell Jackson, Dwight Loftis, Gerald Malloy, Shane Massey, Harvey Peeler, Luke Rankin, Rex Rice, John Scott, Nikki Setzer, Scott Talley, Ross Turner, Tom Young

The ask

By Tuesday, April 11, 1 p.m. 

1. Email an attached letter (testimony) for the record. seducomm [at] scsenate.gov (
)

Email seducomm [at] scsenate.gov. Be sure to include: 
  • Your return address
  • "Dear Members of the Senate Education Committee"
  • Reference H.3728
More letter-writing tips: Advocacy 101
 

2. If your senator is a committee member listed above, also make a call. 

A friendly staff assistant will answer, or you can leave a message. Identify yourself as a CONSTITUENT. Find your legislator.  
 

Talking points

  • Censorship is generally undesirable

    . The notion that topics of concern cannot even be included in any materials used for instruction is unrealistic and minimizes opportunities to teach critical thinking. 

  • Four bill provisions are especially problematic. Insist on removal. 

    1. Requiring that teachers publicly post materials at least three days prior to discussing the materials will inhibit the teaching of current events and the ability to adjust instruction to meet student needs in "real-time." 
    2. Allowing parents to withdraw their student from any instruction that they find objectionable will create massive scheduling and student-supervision problems. 
    3. Allowing any parent to bring a lawsuit against a teacher and possibly recover legal costs for any presumed instructional violation—without even seeking available administrative remedies— invites frivolous lawsuits that would discourage teachers and deplete district resources.
    4. If a district is ultimately found to have violated some provision of this bill, the district’s state funding could be reduced by 5%. Predictably teachers will be warned to steer clear of difficult topics to avoid parental complaints.
  • Supporting bills that encourage attacks on teachers, schools, and districts will drive capable people away from education as a career choice and inflict lasting damage on the state’s public school system.

Our testimony

 
 
Issues referenced by this action alert: 
Education