NASHVILLE (AP) - State Representative Stacey Campfield has filed a bill that he says would assure students and teachers they could wish others Merry Christmas.

The Knoxville Republican says his bill would stop what he called silly lawsuits.

"The ACLU is always freaking out about that stuff," Campfield said.

Campfield told the Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1cD6LRf) he was not aware of a specific case in which the holiday greeting became an issue in any Tennessee school. Campfield said, however, he knows people who are afraid they would be sued and passage of the bill would reassure them.

Hedy Weinberg, executive director of the ACLU in Tennessee, said Campfield's concerns are exaggerated. Weinberg said she can't recall any legal challenge to a Tennessee school's holiday activities.

"Sen. Campfield is envisioning a problem that does not exist," she said. "As Gov. Haslam has said, legislators should not be filing legislation just to be wasting paper, and this seems to be one of the things that would be in that category."

Campfield is a highly visible lawmaker who often draws attention for sponsoring contentious bills on social issues, including one ridiculed as the "Don't Say Gay" bill and another that would cut welfare benefits to parents whose children aren't doing well in school.

Campfield's bill, which he pre-filed in June, is similar to the Texas law signed by Gov. Rick Perry in the same month.