MONTGOMERY, Ala., Feb. 20 (UPI) — Despite majority opposition, a House panel in Alabama has passed a bill that would require public school teachers to open class with a prayer each morning.
Only two out of eight representatives on the Alabama House Education Policy Committee voted to approve moving the bill forward. Three voted against, and three did not vote.
According to House Clerk Jeff Woodard, the chairperson of each committee may decide to call the voice vote at their discretion. If no one disputes the outcome, then the voice vote rules.
Committee chairwoman Mary Sue McClurkin (R-Indian Springs), who voted for the bill, claimed to hear more yeas than nays during the vote and no one challenged her.
The law would not only allow, but require, school teachers to start each day with the same prayers used to open congressional sessions, and up to 15 minutes each morning would be allotted for prayer.
The legislator spearheading the bill is Rep. Steve Hurst (R-Munford), who argues, “If Congress can open with a prayer, and the state of Alabama Legislature can, I don’t see why schools can’t.”
Not everyone agrees. Americans United for Separation of Church and State has called the initiative “egregious,” further stating, “Using Congressional prayers does not, in fact, make this bill constitutional.”
“A teacher-led prayer in a public school is undoubtedly different than a prayer in a legislative meeting. First, congressional prayers are directed only at the legislators themselves, who are adults, rather than young and impressionable students.”
“Second, the opening prayers of a legislative session typically has an atmosphere where adults are free to enter and leave without notice. Students in a classroom, on the other hand, are a captive audience and legally mandated to attend school.”
If the bill were to pass both the House and Senate and be signed by the Governor, it would certainly be challenged in court and have no chance of upholding constitutional muster. Ask Judge Roy Moore.
Related Posts:
Before you continue, I’d like to ask if you could support our independent journalism as we head into one of the most critical news periods of our time in 2024.
The New American Journal is deeply dedicated to uncovering the escalating threats to our democracy and holding those in power accountable. With a turbulent presidential race and the possibility of an even more extreme Trump presidency on the horizon, the need for independent, credible journalism that emphasizes the importance of the upcoming election for our nation and planet has never been greater.
However, a small group of billionaire owners control a significant portion of the information that reaches the public. We are different. We don’t have a billionaire owner or shareholders. Our journalism is created to serve the public interest, not to generate profit. Unlike much of the U.S. media, which often falls into the trap of false equivalence in the name of neutrality, we strive to highlight the lies of powerful individuals and institutions, showing how misinformation and demagoguery can harm democracy.
Our journalists provide context, investigate, and bring to light the critical stories of our time, from election integrity threats to the worsening climate crisis and complex international conflicts. As a news organization with a strong voice, we offer a unique, outsider perspective that is often missing in American media.
Thanks to our unique reader-supported model, you can access the New American journal without encountering a paywall. This is possible because of readers like you. Your support keeps us independent, free from external influences, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for news.
Please help if you can.
American journalists need your help more than ever as forces amass against the free press and democracy itself. We must not let the crypto-fascists and the AI bots take over.
See the latest GoFundMe campaign here or click on this image.
Don't forget to listen to the new song and video.
Just because we are not featured on cable TV news talk shows, or TikTok videos, does not mean we are not getting out there in search engines and social media sites. We consistently get over a million hits a month.
Click to Advertise Here
What is the source of these “same prayers used to open congressional sessions” mentioned above?