Committee advances 'divisive concepts' bill without debate

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama legislative committee on Tuesday took seconds to advance a bill banning “divisive concepts” in classroom lessons and in state diversity training, including that white people should feel guilt over the actions of their ancestors.

African American members of the House State Government Committee objected to the voice vote, which took place within 20 seconds of the bill being brought for discussion and without opposed lawmakers getting an opportunity to speak. The bill now moves to the full House of Representatives.

“I think it is unjust,” Rep. Rolanda Hollis, a Democrat from Birmingham, said after the meeting of the quick approval. Hollis said she wanted to offer an amendment to the measure, adding, “This bill right here, it stops us from being able to teach history, real history."

The bill by Republican Rep. Ed Oliver of Dadeville would prohibit a list of “divisive concepts” from being taught in schools and in diversity training for state entities. The banned concepts would include that United States is “inherently racist or sexist” and that anyone should be asked to accept "a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to work harder solely on the basis of his or her race or sex.”

It would also prohibit “fault, blame, or bias” from being assigned to a race, sex, or religion, or to members of a race, sex, or religion, solely on the basis of their race, sex, or religion.

“I don’t think you should be teaching children because of their skin color that they are necessarily bad, or they can’t succeed because of their skin color,” Committee Chairman Chris Pringle, a Republican from Mobile, said of why he planned to vote for the bill on the House floor.

The legislation comes as Republicans in several states seek to ban either so-called critical...