Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Lawmaker introduces 'Merry Christmas' bill

Details

  • Description

    Law to protect school displays

  • Duration 4:04
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Our -- -- Texas lawmaker is spreading Christmas cheer by introducing legislation he likes to call the Merry Christmas bill.

A lot of allowed Texas public schools -- -- holiday greetings like Merry Christmas and happy Chanukah.

As well as displaying things like Christmas trees in the nor is all without the fear of facing a possible hard.

Texas State representative Dwayne -- -- is spearheading the bill.

He joins us now -- I found this very interest human misery -- in the initial inspiration from this came from your kids as your pick him up from school tummy -- How that happened.

That's right about a year ago I -- that my son at the flag electability.

Typically pick him up and asked -- house they was.

-- he told me quite excitedly that they had decorated their holiday tree with holiday ornaments and I asked him what holiday we were celebrating he said well holidays Christmas.

So I immediately went and talked the administration.

Had a found out from them I I walked in kind of sarcastic and -- sarcastically said.

Can anyone tell me what holiday is it is that we're celebrating I don't think it's Easter.

I don't think it's July 4 and we haven't quite gotten to -- New Year's Day yet I I believe the holiday were celebrating its Christmas.

And we should call it Christmas tree in any way they kind of the cat is set and the rest you know that it that they don't really use that word here that there are more inclusive than a calling a Christmas tree a Christmas tree.

You know you bring up a good point I think when you and I were kids it was very common to everybody said Merry Christmas to everyone at that time.

And I grew up in a predominantly Christian town and when I moved away into a larger city and eventually had some Jewish friends a -- in town would that -- have a big Jewish population.

I suddenly became aware there was Chanukah and so we started to say things like happy hot they're happy holidays in order to kind of -- I didn't passivity.

But this is gone so far the other way how do you think that transition happened.

Well I think we become we've become so politically correct frankly speaking that really our brains have fallen out.

It is OK to say Merry Christmas it is OK to say happy Chanukah the Supreme Court has already weighed in on these issues in two landmark case -- -- -- case.

And the city -- -- of Allegheny they've already -- and they said you can't say Merry Christmas you can't call a Christmas tree Christmas tree can display.

You can display inactivity can display a menorah I think there's an over sense of cautiousness for two reasons number one.

School districts are fearful of litigation and -- I think teachers and administrators school principals are fearful a fearful of retribution so I think.

Two things are going on here it and that's what this bill that's what my bill seeks to remedy it seeks to take the supreme court's ruling.

Which is -- -- out there kind of -- out there and and -- in the state law so that.

So that school districts can't point to this state law house -- 30 wait and -- with.

That has -- lives and it gives it a level a level of safety when adopting their rules for the holidays and that way we can indeed -- -- Christmas tree Christmas tree.

At a holiday party -- Christmas party for crying out well.

Well listen that seems so logical I can imagine how you can ever come -- -- that it is certainly seems.

Everybody I know is absolutely fine with saying Merry Christmas happy -- whatever it is.

And I can never understand where the outrage comes in how we get ourselves into these -- Will you please come back and let us know how this bill goes.

When you -- -- willingness will be -- kind of a vote on this.

Well I think it will go through the process that it's really complicated process it'll be and then it'll be changed it'll be made better you know go over to the senate and go to the same process and then if it passes the governor.

The governor will -- and I think this bill has touched a chord all across the country we've received.

Emails and feedback from from from states everywhere from small towns all over America and teachers have enough on their plate they don't need to be worried about litigation.

Again I think so many of us who just like to get back to where it's just easy we wish somebody a Merry Christmas happy Chanukah -- -- -- -- -- It would be -- nice thank you so much for your time and joining us this morning when -- Texas State represented a Merry Christmas to you.

Make Christmas and happy Chanukah thank you -- thank you who is.

Load More