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| | Panel endorses bill requiring marriage definition in textbooks
Friday, Jan 21, 2005 By David Robinson Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - The House Education Committee recommended a bill Thursday that requires Arkansas textbooks to define marriage as between one man and one woman. The voice vote to endorse House Bill 1136 came after an hour's discussion and a veteran lawmaker's warning that more research was needed to know the effect on the state's ability to buy textbooks. The bill, sponsored by freshman Rep. Roy Ragland, R-Marshall, now goes to the House chamber for consideration. According to the bill, any new textbooks that include definitions of marriage must define it as between a man and a woman and shall not include definitions that are contrary to the state constitution. Shortly before the panel's voice vote, Arkansas Family Council director Jerry Cox reminded lawmakers of Arkansans' overwhelming approval Nov. 2 of the constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. "We know how the people feel about this," Cox said. "They said we want this in our constitution. I have to believe they would want it in our textbooks as well." Lawmakers on the panel raised several concerns, such as whether the bill would make it illegal to define polygamy in a textbook and whether it might hinder the state's ability to buy textbooks. Education Committee Chairwoman Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, and Rep. Tommy Dickenson, D-Newport, debated whether the constitutional amendment limits students' exposure to other forms of marriage. "I just don't think our constitution dictates that we can't be inclusive of other ideas," Elliott said. "I think that's the problem." "Do we define polygamy in the constitution?" Dickenson asked. "No, but I think we also probably do not define, for example, polyandry but it's in our textbooks," Elliott said. "If we use the constitution as a guide to define everything that goes into our textbooks then we're going to have some pretty narrow textbooks." "So what you're saying then in essence is that the state amendment that we just passed is really in essence is something that we just passed and is not really applicable," Dickenson said. Dickenson also challenged Elliott to point to the bill's language that would prohibit textbooks and teachers from exposing students to other ideas about marriage. Elliott pointed to the sentence stating that the textbooks "shall define marriage only as a relationship between one (1) man and one (1) woman." She argued that a glossary in a textbook that defines polygamy would seem to be in conflict with the bill. "But it's not marriage. It's polygamy," Dickenson said. Elliott responded that a textbook may refer to polygamy as a marriage. "That's very likely to happen, Mr. Dickenson," she said. "Well, then I would say it's a wrong choice," Dickenson responded. Rep. Leroy Dangeau, D-Wynne, also said he is concerned about the limits the bill will put on teaching. "I do wonder about how we're going to teach these other cultures to our children," Dangeau said. Rep. Jodie Mahony, D-El Dorado, a veteran House and Senate member, cautioned the panel to research the potential ramifications of the bill before voting. He and Rep. Betty Pickett, D-Conway, said they were concerned about the state's ability to buy textbooks if the bill were to pass. Education Department director Ken James echoed their concern after the meeting. He said Arkansas buys its textbooks from out of state and that such a restriction might require Arkansas-only textbooks, which could significantly raise their costs. Elliot said after the meeting that she was surprised no one spoke against the bill during the public comment period. She added, however, that she believes most people who would have spoken against it assumed incorrectly that the bill didn't have a chance to get the panel's recommendation. "I think people rightfully had the expectation that we would not pass a bill that would be so restrictive," she said. "Yes, I am surprised." |
