Arizona House votes to ban critical race theory in schools

By JONATHAN J. COOPER
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to put limits on teaching race and gender in schools. The bill sent to the Senate on Thursday is part of the GOP’s nationwide push to block diversity instruction Republicans have termed “critical race theory.” Teaching around race and diversity has been on the rise alongside a broader acknowledgment that racial injustice continues in America. Those efforts have spurred a backlash, particularly among Republican voters who say schools should be focusing on core academic subjects. Democrats said the measure would chill discussions about history and contemporary events.