dbeard@dominionpost.com
MORGANTOWN – The state Senate is again attempting to pass a bill to require Holocaust education in the public schools.
The Education Committee approved a trimmed-down version of SB 54 on Thursday and sent it to the full Senate.
Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia, is lead sponsor. The version the committee took up says, “All public schools located within this state shall give age-appropriate instruction on the Holocaust, the systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an investigation of human behavior, an understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping, and an examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful person, for the purposes of encouraging tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society and for nurturing and protecting democratic values and institutions.”
It says such teaching may not be offered until sixth grade or later.
Sen. Craig Hart, R-Mingo, questioned the inclusion of the final phrase stating the purposes of the bill, focusing particularly on the term “pluralistic society.” While agreeing with bill’s intent, he was uncomfortable with the last half. “It gives me great pause.”
He also questioned the necessity of the bill, given that Holocaust education appears in other content standards.
Committee chair Amy Grady, R-Mason, said that while current standards call for teaching on the Holocaust at some point, this would change code to make sure it is required somewhere from grades 6-12.
Sen. Kevan Bartlett, R-Kanawha, also noted the possible redundancy, given current standards, but said he appreciates the bill since a growing segment of the population denies the Holocaust happened. “Young people need to know 6 million Jews were eradicated for political purposes, and denying that is the equivalent of denying we landed on the moon.
In light of repeated discussion about the last half of the bill, Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, offered an amendment to trim it.
His proposal reads: All public schools located within this state shall give age-appropriate instruction on the Holocaust, the systematic, planned annihilation of European Jews and other groups by Nazi Germany, a watershed event in the history of humanity, to be taught in a manner that leads to an investigation of human behavior, and an examination of what it means to be a responsible and respectful person.”
Sen. Joey Garcia objected to the cuts, saying the original version addresses important issues about prejudice, racism and stereotyping.
Roberts said he believes those issues will be raised anyway, and he wanted to avoid micromanaging.
The committee adopted Roberts’ amendment with Garcia and Grady voting no. It then approved the amended bill – with no apparent votes against – and sent it to the full Senate.
Last year, this bill was SB 448 and died on second reading on the Senate floor. In 2023, a different bill with different sponsors, SB 216, called for education on the Holocaust and other genocides. It passed the Senate and was approved in House Education but died in House Finance.
