FRANKFORT, Ky. — Critical race theory isn’t taught in any Kentucky K-12 school, but that hasn’t stopped the heated discussion in Frankfort on how to teach kids about racism.

Sen. Max Wise (R-Campbellsville) said his bill, Senate Bill 138, is not designed to stifle education in any way when it comes to issues of race.

“We want them to talk about current events; we want them to talk about issues that may be controversies or non-controversies, but do it also in a respect in terms of showing all sides of the issue, and as well as being age-appropriate into those discussions,” he said.

The bill includes several guidelines for history teachers: one part says teachers have to stress that an individual does not bear responsibility for actions committed by other members of the same race or sex, while another said an American has the ability to succeed regardless of one’s circumstances.

“What we’re doing is we’re listening to parents; we’re listening to students; listening to also some educators,” Wise said. “I’ve had many educators that have reached out saying thank you; thank you for taking a stand on this issue.”

The measure also includes several mandatory readings for middle and high school students, most of which are from either the country’s founding, the Civil War era, or the Civil Rights era. The list includes the “A Time for Choosing” speech from Ronald Reagan in support of then-presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1964.

“I think it’s a phenomenal speech to be able to use as core documents,” Wise said. “I think you could… look at a speech like that and how it launched someone into politics; look at the core of what he’s talking about there.”

Wise brought a couple people to testify on behalf of the bill during Thursday’s Senate Education Committee, including Beanie Geoghegan of the right-wing education group No Left Turn. She said she was disappointed in what her students were learning during the first months of the pandemic.

“As I talked to more parents around Kentucky, I realized that I was not alone,” she said. “We were frustrated by what our students were being taught, and very concerned with what was not being taught.”

Several students and teachers testified against it, saying it aims to hide some of the worst parts of our history.

“Ignoring the past or only telling partial truth does a disservice to everyone,” Campbellsville University faculty member Renee Sartin said. “It’s an injustice to those whose story is being forgotten or falsified and it does intellectual harm to those who are not exposed to the truth.”

The measure passed 9-4 in the Senate Education Committee, with GOP Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr (R-Lexington) joining the panel’s three Democrats against it.  

Senator Reggie Thomas voted no.  

“It’s not about race discrimination, so there’s no race discrimination in the bill, but it does aim to whitewash history,” said Sen. Reggie Thomas (D-Lexington).

Wise pushed back against the “whitewashing” comments.

“I think that’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “I mean, we need to look back at some atrocities that have occurred in the history of our country, going back to times, and we can say look at where we are then; look at where we are now.”

The House has its own bill dealing with critical race theory that has not received a committee vote.  

It’s not clear yet when either bill will hit the floor.