AB853: Bill Text

LRB-1445/2

PG:kaf:km

1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE

1997 Assembly BILL 853

March 2, 1998 - Introduced by Representatives Grothman, Nass, Vrakas, Spillner, Jensen, F. Lasee, Kedzie, Goetsch, Owens, Hahn, Ladwig, Albers and Kreuser, cosponsored by Senators Welch and Drzewiecki. Referred to Committee on Education.

AB853,1,2 An Act to amend 118.06 (title); and to create 118.06 (3) of the statutes; relating to: the display and use of historical documents by school boards.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill provides that a school board may not prohibit the display or use for instructional purposes of any of various historical documents, including the preamble to the Wisconsin Constitution, the U.S. Constitution, the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, the writings and speeches of the founding fathers and U.S. presidents, U.S. supreme court opinions, acts of congress and the text of the Congressional Record. The bill also requires a school board to ensure that, if any document is displayed or used for instructional purposes, religious references are not deleted.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB853, s. 1 Section 1. 118.06 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB853,1,5 118.06 (title) Flag and Display of flag and historical documents; pledge of allegiance.

AB853, s. 2 Section 2. 118.06 (3) of the statutes is created to read:

AB853,2,7 118.06 (3) (a) A school board may not prohibit the display in a public school or the use for instructional purposes of copies of or excerpts from the national motto; the national anthem; the pledge of allegiance; the preamble to the Wisconsin Constitution; the U.S. Constitution; the Declaration of Independence; the Mayflower Compact; the writings and speeches of the founding fathers and presidents of the United States; U.S. supreme court decisions; acts of congress; or the published text of the Congressional Record.

AB853,2,10 (b) If any document or portion of a document specified under par. (a) is displayed in a public school or used for instructional purposes, the school board shall ensure that religious references are not deleted.

AB853,2,11 (End)