A new bill in Tennessee could soon require public schools to teach that a successful life follows a specific sequence: high school, a job or higher education, marriage, and then children. The proposal, advancing in the Republican-majority state Legislature, mirrors similar bills in other states this year.
On Thursday, the Tennessee Senate passed the bill with a 25-5 vote. It still needs to pass through the House before it can become law.
According to Republican Senator Janice Bowling from Tullahoma, the bill aims to give children who may not have strong family support the tools they need for success. “Some children are not privileged to recognize that or live within that,” Bowling explained. “In these classes, these children will be given this key to success.”
Supporters of the bill argue that teaching this sequence could help lift people out of poverty by encouraging the delay of significant life events, such as marriage before having children. However, Democratic opponents raised concerns about the bill. They argue that the lessons could influence personal choices and potentially make students from single-parent households feel inadequate.
This proposal is part of a broader movement, with similar bills being introduced in other states, including Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio, as reported by the Associated Press. In Utah, the governor has already signed a similar law into effect.
Several advocacy groups, such as the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation, have supported the bill.
Under the Tennessee proposal, schools would be required to include age-appropriate lessons on the benefits of the “success sequence” in their family life curriculum. However, state law allows parents to opt their children out of the family planning lessons.
Senator London Lamar, a Democrat from Memphis and a single mother, criticized the bill. Lamar, who was raised by a single mother, argued that the legislation oversimplifies the path to success. “I think this bill is misguided, it’s very offensive, and I’m living proof that this bill has no merit,” she said.
While proponents argue that research supports the sequence as a helpful guideline, critics claim the approach fails to consider the complex factors that contribute to poverty, relying on correlation without proving causation.
