Senate committee backs bill to require portraits of Washington, Lincoln in classrooms
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Summary
The Senate education committee voted to report SB 420 favorably after sponsors said the measure would require portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be displayed in social-studies and K–5 classrooms; sponsors said the Department of Education would select portraits and funding would be pursued to avoid an unfunded mandate.
Sen. Burgess on Wednesday asked the Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 to report SB 420 favorably, a bill that would require portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln be prominently displayed in classrooms primarily used for social studies and in K–5 classrooms.
Burgess said the portraits are meant to prompt civic conversation and to reconnect students with national history. "It's been a labor of love and something that's been on my heart," he said, framing the measure as a return to historical practice and not curricular prescription. He said the Department of Education would select and make portraits available to districts and committed to working with appropriations to ensure funding and avoid an unfunded mandate.
Sen. Davis and other members pressed the sponsor on whether mandating specific portraits could feel exclusionary or set precedent for more prescriptive state direction in classrooms. "Pictures communicate values, priorities, narratives to our children," Davis said, arguing that required displays could influence what students perceive as normative. Burgess responded that he does not view Washington or Lincoln as partisan figures and that the bill would not prevent teachers from also displaying other historical figures; when asked about Harriet Tubman, Burgess said the bill "in no way, shape, or form would prevent that discussion or that display."
After questions and public waivers registered in support, the committee took a roll-call vote. Senators Berman, Burgess, Osgood, Yarbrough, Claudio and Chair Simon voted yes; Sen. Davis voted no. The chair announced that SB 420 was reported favorably.
The committee did not adopt curricular prescriptions in the session and left placement discretion to individual classrooms. Next steps for SB 420 will follow the legislative process outside committee; the committee also discussed funding commitments from appropriations staff to support the distribution of portraits.