Bill aims to make Aitken Bible and others ‘state books’
A bill that seeks to make the Aitken Bible a state book of Tennessee, alongside nine other works, is headed to Gov. Bill Lee's desk after it passed along party lines in a final Senate vote on Monday.
House Bill 1828, sponsored by Sen. Paul Rose, Covington, and Rep. Gino Bulso, R-brentwood, would make the Aitken Bible — the first edition of the Bible printed in the United States during the Revolutionary War — an official state book, along with other works including George Washington's “Farewell Address” and Alex Haley's “Roots.”
“Tennessee does have a rich political and cultural history dating all the way back to its founding on June 1, 1976,” Rose said Monday while presenting the bill. “Together, these works help Tennesseans understand American identity, politics and culture.”
Senators voted 26 to 6 to approve adding all 10 works to Tennessee's group of state symbols. Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-chattanooga, abstained from the vote. If signed by Lee, the Aitken Bible would be the only religious text designated by law as an official state book.
While Tennessee has a large variety of state symbols adopted by lawmakers over the years, many of which have specific and distinct ties to the nature and culture of the state, no fiction or nonfiction books have been designated as official “state books.”
But even so, it's not the first time a bill designating the Bible as a state book has made it to the governor's desk. The legislature has repeatedly voted on proposals to make the Bible a state book. A 2016 bill was vetoed by then-gov. Bill Haslam who cited state and federal constitutional concerns. Lawmakers sought to override Haslam's veto, but the House of Representatives fell short.
Rose said the group of books would be “a starting point to grow the conversation of the impact Tennessee authors have made not just in our state, but the country and the world.”
Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-nashville, questioned whether the works listed all have significant ties to the state.
“It seems like we're opening a door to just having books on any number of topics, regardless of whether they're connected much to Tennessee,” Yarbro said. “I'm not sure that I really think that it's appropriate to use the Blue Book to create sort of a reading list.”
Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-memphis, recalled debate in years past as lawmakers considered making the Bible a state book.
“I was a House member when we debated making the Bible the official state book. We debated for two days,” Akbari said. “I think most of the discussions centered around, while you know the Bible is my book, I don't necessarily know that it should be relegated to a list within the State of Tennessee.”
Alongside the Aitken Bible, the bill would make the following designated state books:
h “Farewell Address to the American People,” George Washington (1796)
h “Democracy in America,” Alexis de Tocqueville (1835 and 1840) h Aitken Bible (1782) h Papers of President Andrew Jackson h “Roots,” Alex Haley (1977) h “A Death in the Family,” James Agee (1958)
h “All the King's Men,” Robert Penn Warren (1947)
h “American Lion,” Jon Meacham (2009)
h “The Civil War: A Narrative,” Shelby Foote (1958-1974)
h “Coat of Many Colors,” Dolly Parton (2016)
Tennessee has already designated a host of state symbols. In 2009, lawmakers designated milk as the state beverage. In 1999, the legislature adopted an official state tartan. In 2014, the legislature designated “Sandy,” an ancient sandstone statue of a prehistoric Native American kneeling as the official state artifact. In 2016, lawmakers adopted the Barrett .50-caliber as the state rifle. Already this year, lawmakers have designated hot slaw as an official state food of Tennessee, and Cleveland, Tennessee, as “the hot slaw capital” of Tennessee — and are considering adding Brenda Lee's classic “Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” to the list of official state songs.