Tennessee lawmakers vote to make Bible the official state book
On Monday the Tennessee state Senate approved a bill that would make the Holy Bible the state's official book.
According to AP, the state Senate voted 19-8 in favor of the bill although the state attorney general argued that the measure would conflict with a provision in the Tennessee Constitution stating that "no preference shall ever be given, by law, to any religious establishment or mode of worship."
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The bill has been sent to the desk of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam who hasn't said whether he'll issue a veto.
Tennessee state senators say that the bill will recognize the Bible for historical and cultural contributions to the state. Opponents of the bill have argued that it would trivialize the Bible by placing it alongside other state symbols.
Hedy Weinberg, the executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee, called the bill a "thinly veiled effort to promote one religion over other religions clearly violates both the United States and Tennessee Constitutions." She also called on Haslam to veto the bill.
Tennessee would make history as the first state in the U.S. to recognize the Bible as its official book.
The Legislature also voted to make the .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle the state's official riffle earlier this session.
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