Even before he dropped the gavel on the Senate Finance Committee meeting, Sen. Jerry Tillman, a notoriously cantankerous Republican from Randolph County, seemed to be in a particularly bad mood.

He mumbled about being angry. He barked at audience to take their seats, lest he start selling tickets. And with eight bills to plow through — he promised it would take no longer than 30 minutes — Tillman sped through the meeting as if he were herding cattle through a sale barn.

At that auctioneer’s pace, then, there was little discussion of the House Bill 374, legislation with far-reaching implications.

Thus began Lisa Sorg’s report today on NC Policy Watch concerning House Bill 374 entitled “House Bill 374 and its restrictions on the citizens’ right to contest environmental permits, advances in Senate” (http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2017/06/22/house-bill-374-restrictions-citizens-right-contest-environmental-permits-advances-senate/).

And her specific use of diction and tone are very apropos for Tillman.

• “cantankerous”
• “bad mood”
• “mumbled”
• “angry”
• “barked”
• “plow”
• “little discussion”

That’s the Jerry we know!

His amorphous defense of unregulated charter schools, his unwillingness to listen to open debate on issues concerning students, and his ramrodding bills for the Achievement School District and the weakening of DPI have all been wrapped in his special gruff manner.

Today was no different.

Remember that Tillman is a former teacher, coach, and administrator in public schools who retired long ago. Last year he tried to enact legislation that would require all high schools to offer two tracks of math.

I am not a math teacher. In fact, according to my wife, I am rather poor in explaining mathematical concepts to our children when they are faced with math homework. But I do know that all of a sudden changing the course tracks in high schools would present an incredible challenge for schools to adequately teach those differing courses in high schools in such a quick amount of time – especially when the likes of Tillman keep funding from going to public schools.

Sen. Tillman thought it could be done in the blink of an eye. He was quoted in an EdNC.org report ((https://www.ednc.org/2016/06/09/senate-moves-state-one-step-closer-split-high-school-math-tracks),

“If you can teach math, your same certifications are required, same students, same allotment of teachers. Not gonna change,” he said.

Tillman said the practical aspect of teaching could be accomplished by having a teacher teach Algebra I alongside Math 1 in the same class.

“With a good teacher, you can do it,” he said.

So, teaching two subjects in the same classroom? In the same amount of time? With two different pedagogical approaches? Of course, Sen. Tillman would think that.

He also thinks that one can go through eight bills in thirty minutes.

With an emphasis on STEM education, it would make sense that if someone like Tillman was to be so in tune with math, then he might also think of the importance of Science and Technology, both of which have overwhelmingly told us the ramifications of hurting the environment.

House Bill 374 would hurt the environment.

Sorg explains,

“The 17-page bill has morphed from a benign list of technical changes into a malignant mass of pernicious environmental provisions. These include language that would weaken coal ash recycling requirements and strip many citizens of their right to contest environmental permits.”

That last sentence really strikes me as shocking. But maybe it’s not too shocking when you investigate that Tillman’s allegiance to the American Legislative Exchange Council’s ultra-conservative view of teaching civics in American High Schools.

Refer back to 2015 and Senate Bill 524. From the venerable Lindsay Wagner when she reported for NC Policy Watch,

Senate Bill 524 adds principles to the high school curriculum that are, according to the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, related to the founding documents of the United States government. They include:

• Constitutional limitations on government power to tax and spend and prompt payment of public debt
• Money with intrinsic value
• Strong defense and supremacy of civil authority over military
• Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none
• Eternal vigilance by ‘We the People’ (http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2015/04/29/lawmakers-push-raft-of-education-bills-in-advance-of-crossover-deadline/).

“We the People.” 8 bills in thirty minutes.

“Limitations on government power.” Stripping as much power away from a democratically elected governor and the Department of Justice budget slashed by over one-third.

“Honest friendship.” Yet we the people get “cantankerous,” “bad mood,” “mumbled,” “angry,” “bark,” “plow,” and “little discussion.”

Makes one wonder who could go into those chambers in Raleigh and force some civil discussion about such bills that would have an impact on the environment.

Our water.

Our land.

Our resources.

Our trees.

And then I think of this guy who just might be as old as Jerry Tillman.

But he’s more friendly. More thoughtful. Would take his time and consider. And would certainly allow others to speak.

He would defend our water, land, and resources.

He understands STEM fairly well and I imagine only took one track of math in school.