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Committee advances bill restricting honorific use in schools after emotional testimony
Summary
HB 16-66, which would expand rules around honorifics and titles in schools and other settings, was advanced to full committee after testimony from a chaplain and extended member exchanges about dignity, scope and unintended consequences.
Representative Mayberry presented House Bill 16-66 as an expansion to last year's legislation, explaining the measure would bring clarity by explicitly including honorifics in existing law. The sponsor said the bill aims to protect what the sponsor called "objective truth" in classrooms and to prevent authority figures from compelling children to use titles the sponsor views as inconsistent with biological sex.
Chaplain Darren Analise Johnson, who identified himself as a 22-year resident of Davidson County, testified in opposition and framed his remarks around the human consequences of disrespect and loss of trust: "A trust which when we can't count on the other to offer even rudimentary forms of decency and respect is eroded to the point the necessary functional relationships lose all possible utility." He and other commenters urged the committee to consider the potential harms to students, teachers and family members.
Members questioned the sponsor about practical consequences and whether the bill could create unintended penalties or confusion in schools and other public institutions. Representative Salinas pressed on trade-offs given other pressing state challenges and questioned the legislative priority of the measure. After debate, the committee voted to advance HB 16-66 to the full committee.
