School Prayer Bill Advances In State Senate
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - While the school prayer issue has been dormant, it's coming back up again in the Florida State Senate. A new bill seeks to allow prayers at school events such as graduations or assemblies.
The bill cleared the Senate Education K-12 Committee on a unanimous vote Thursday.
Specifically, the bill would allow school districts to adopt policies regarding the "delivery of inspirational messages, including prayers," according the News Service of Florida.
Only students would be allowed to deliver the prayers and the language in the prayer must be nonsectarian.
The Anti-Defamation League said the specificity of using the word "prayer" violated the state and federal constitutional requirements that separate church and state. Plus, by stipulating what can be said, that would require schools to police the speeches.
A similar bill in the House has not been heard by any committee, so future of the Senate's school prayer bill is unknown.
