The state Senate will use time during a busy Tuesday session to take up the controversial issue of race-based mascots and nicknames in state schools, which already caused tension in the state Assembly and in previous public hearings.
If it passes the legislative process, the bill would change the current protocol behind pursuing complaints against schools using controversial mascots. The race-based designation in the bill generally refers to those schools using American Indian mascots and nicknames for sports teams.
Current state law allows any resident in a school district to file a complaint with the state’s Department of Public Instruction regarding a race-based mascot. The bill would change the law to require 10 percent of a school district’s adult population to back any mascot-related complaint and would give reviewing power to the state Department of Administration.
The bill was originally scheduled for a floor hearing last month but was moved to Tuesday before debate began.
