Lawmaker asks to place AG opinion on divisive concepts' into committee record; Department says it will follow up

Representative Lauer asked the committee to request that the Department of Education send a commissioner's memo notifying districts about an attorney general's August opinion that teaching critical race theory or other divisive concepts' could violate the Constitution and federal civil‑rights law. Lauer asked that his letter and the AG opinion be entered into the committee's record and added to the November agenda.

Greg Rogers of the Department of Education told the committee he was not familiar with the details and would need to find out how the department would handle such a request. The chair agreed to add the item to the November agenda and asked Lauer to notify staff if the department responds before then.

The committee did not take a binding policy action at the meeting; members agreed to review the AG opinion and determine whether a commissioner's memo or other departmental action was appropriate at the next meeting.