Critical race theory is banned in Idaho, whose U.S. senators have new bill targeting it
Idaho’s U.S. senators introduced a bill in Congress this week to ban critical race theory in education, even though the topic is already prohibited in Idaho and at least 17 other states, according to EdWeek.
Neither senator immediately responded to questions asking whether they were aware of Idaho’s ban.
Critical race theory essentially espouses that systemic racism is embedded in systems and structures like the labor and housing markets in U.S. society, according to the Brookings Institution. It has been targeted by Republican lawmakers in Idaho and elsewhere for the past five years, part of an ongoing debate about what students should hear in schools.
“For too long, the radical left has tried to rewrite American history and indoctrinate future generations with their woke agenda,” Sen. Jim Risch said in a news release. “My PEACE Act ensures taxpayer dollars are not used to promote Critical Race Theory or subject students to a divisive and misguided political agenda.”
The news release from the bill’s sponsors — Risch and Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyoming — contained quotes from each of them and no examples of critical race theory being taught in their states or nationwide. Montana, like Idaho, has banned critical race theory; in Wyoming a bill was introduced last year but stalled.
Idaho’s state lawmakers passed a critical race theory bill, HB 377, in 2021, after a group of House Republicans voted against education budgets while expressing concerns over “indoctrination” in schools, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. The education budgets must pass in order for the legislative session to end.
Risch and Crapo’s bill prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars to “promote politically divisive concepts” like critical race theory.
In 2021, then-Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin created a task force to study supposed indoctrination in schools. Many of the comments she received were opposed to her efforts, according to previous Statesman reporting, and teachers testified that critical race theory was not being taught in Idaho schools.
Last year, Idaho approved resources for use in local schools from the conservative nonprofit PragerU, according to previous Statesman reporting. One popular video on PragerU’s Kids YouTube channel says, “This content is for your child’s mind to fight the leftists’ lies.”
