Tennessee Senate kills bill that would make the Bible the state's official book

The Bible.
(Image credit: iStock)

In Tennessee, a plan to make the Bible the state's official book is off the table — at least for now.

The Republican-controlled House approved the bill 55-38 Wednesday, despite the fact that Tennessee's attorney general, Herbert Slatery, reminded everyone in a legal opinion that the bill would violate separation of church and state provisions in the federal and state constitutions, The Associated Press reports. On Thursday, the bill was sent back to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which could take it up against next year.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.