Haslam Tries To Convince Tennessee Legislature To Drop Bible Bill

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is trying to make sure his veto stands and the Bible doesn’t become the state’s official book.

The governor dispatched aides to speak with any lawmaker who will listen ahead of an override vote scheduled for Wednesday morning.

“I wouldn’t have vetoed it if I didn’t think it was the right thing to do,” Haslam tells WPLN. “Like any other bill [where] we’re trying to influence the legislation, our team will be down there explaining why we did it and encouraging folks to do the same.”

The bill received 55 votes when it passed 
in the state House
. It only needs a simple majority — 50 votes — to override the governor’s veto. With three previous bills that Haslam 
vetoed during his tenure as governor, the legislature didn’t attempt an override because the session had already concluded for the year.

Haslam argues that making the Bible the official state book “trivializes” scripture. His attorney general has said it likely runs afoul of the First Amendment and the Tennessee constitution, which prohibits the establishment of religion. But supporters say the measure sidesteps the religious questions by honoring solely the historic and economic significance of the Bible.

Asked if he expects to change any votes, Haslam wouldn’t predict:

“We’ll see. I don’t know the answer.”