Tennessee plan to make Bible state's 'official' book derailed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Bible usually unites Republicans in conservative Tennessee, but lately it is proving to be more powerful and sharper than a double-edged sword.

Legislators here are deeply divided over a proposal to make the holy text an official state book, with some saying it's far too sacred to be trivialized like the state fruit, the state amphibian and several state songs.

Conversely, others believe the Bible is an integral part of the state's history, or don't want to appear to be against it. And then there are a host of constitutional questions to consider.

Despite those problems, House lawmakers on Wednesday voted 55-38 in favor of the plan. On Thursday, the proposal was derailed when the Senate voted 22-9 to send it back to a committee that has been closed, effectively killing it for the year.

Some legislators may have felt compelled to support the measure or face political repercussions down the road.

"I think some of these state legislators probably just don't want to give their opposition an issue to run with," Vanderbilt University political science professor John Geer said. "Imagine if you can attack somebody for not supporting the Bible."

Tennessee's attorney general, Herbert Slatery, warned in a legal opinion earlier this week that the bill would violate separation of church and state provisions of both the federal and state constitutions. Similar proposals in Mississippi and Louisiana failed for those reasons.