A bill that would require schools to display a photo of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in social studies classrooms cleared its first legislative committee on Jan. 13.
Six Florida senators voted in favor of the measure (SB 420) in the Committee on Education Pre-K-12, which met on the first day of legislative session. This bill was filed by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills.
“I really firmly believe that this is not just symbolic, but I think that there’s a lot of meaning here, especially (on) the 250th year of our birthday, with two giants of our past and our national heritage,” Burgess said.
But Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, disagreed. Davis, the only ‘no’ vote, called the measure “exclusive, not inclusive.” Burgess disagreed, saying Lincoln and Washington were “giants from our past in American history.”
She further was concerned by whether this bill would be another way of adding political messages in the classroom environment.
“They’re not weighing in on the political issues of the day. I think they represent our heritage,” Burgess said to Davis.
The Florida Department of Education would choose the portraits and make them available to each school district, according to the bill’s language.
Burgess said he was inspired to file the bill amid discussions of civics and unity in the country, especially now that the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country is this year on July 4.
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This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Stephany Matat is based in Tallahassee, Fla. She can be reached at SMatat@gannett.com. On X: @stephanymatat.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Lawmakers move bill for Washington, Lincoln portraits in classrooms
Reporting by Stephany Matat, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Tallahassee Democrat
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