Legislation to ban critical race theory in Texas public schools hit a speed bump in the Texas House this week.

On Tuesday, the Texas House was scheduled to hear House Bill 3979 introduced by State Rep. Steve Toth (R–The Woodlands). The bill would ban critical race theory in Texas public school classrooms.

But the bill was sent back to the Public Education Committee on Monday due to a potential parliamentary issue. It was quickly passed out of the committee once again and sent to the House Calendars Committee. 

Toth stated that HB 3979 would likely be on the House floor on Thursday.

Toth explained, “The bill tackles a number of educational tactics feared by some Republicans to be nascent trends in the classroom, such as ‘action civics,’ overly political curriculums, and a strain of sociological thought which organizes racism through structural rather than interpersonal terms, translated from academia to popular literacy by bestselling writers such as Ibram X. Kendi and commonly called ‘critical race theory.’”

HB 3979 would require the State Board of Education to teach a basic understanding of the fundamental moral, political, and intellectual foundations of the American experiment in self-government to be taught in classrooms, as well as including the country’s founding documents in curriculum standards.

Last week, the state Senate passed an identical companion bill, Senate Bill 2202, introduced by State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe). 

The deadline for passing House bills is May 13.

Iris Poole

Iris Poole is a 2021 Texas Scorecard Fellow from Round Rock. She is freedom-loving and had an early interest in liberty and politics.

RELATED POSTS