Education committee votes to limit critical race theory instruction in South Dakota's public schools

Originally Published on the Sioux Falls Argus Leader

The House Education committee passed another one of Gov. Kristi Noem's bills Wednesday night that would limit any "political indoctrination" in public K-12 schools.

This committee's vote on House Bill 1337 follows its passage of a similar anti-CRT bill from Noem, House Bill 1012, on Wednesday morning applying to higher education.

CRT is a theory created by legal scholars and educators in the 1970s that argues racism is a common experience faced by non-white people in the U.S., that racism is institutional and that it benefits white people. Top education officials in the state have said CRT largely isn't taught in K-12 or higher education in South Dakota.

This K-12 bill, HB 1337, passed on a 13-2 vote, seeing support from 13 Republicans and dissent from Democratic Reps. Erin Healy and Jennifer Keintz.

Both HB 1337 and HB 1012 will move to the House floor in the coming days…