Hidden within this article concerning HB 318 is another religious expression bill

Hidden within this article concerning HB 318 from Steven Hurst is another religious expression bill similar to Georgia's Student Religious Liberties Act of 2014 (HB 13):

The committee also passed a religious expression bill, sponsored by Rep. Mack Butler, R-Rainbow City, that would allow students to initiate prayer in school and express their religious views in their schoolwork. The bill would also require schools to adopt a policy to reinforce those rights.

Butler, who served on a school board for 10 years, said the purpose of the bill is to communicate to school administrators and teachers what’s legal. He said he knows teachers who are scared to death because they don’t know where to draw the line.

“Every bit of this bill is already legal,” Butler said. “It’s just that no one knows it’s legal.”

[Democrat Elaine] Beech said she didn’t understand why a bill legalizing actions that are already legal under the U.S. Constitution was needed.

State education officials at the public hearings on the bill last week said the bill isn’t needed because students already have those rights and that developing individual policies might open schools to lawsuits if they don’t get the wording correct.

Committee passes school prayer bill on voice vote | The Montgomery Advertiser | montgomeryadvertiser.com

See also:  
This bill (HB 281) would create the Alabama Student Religious Liberties Act of 2014. Such an original title for a bill .

Relating to religious expression; to create the Alabama Student Religious Liberties Act of 2014; to prohibit school districts from discriminating against a student or parent on the basis of a religious viewpoint or religious expression in public schools; to require school districts to allow religious expression in class assignments, coursework, and artwork; to require school districts to provide students with the freedom to organize religious groups and activities; and to require school districts to adopt and implement a policy regarding voluntary student expression of religious viewpoints.

As per Americans United, why this bill is just plain wrong:

HB 281 claims to allow religious student expression in public school classrooms, but actually is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Students can already observe their religion as long as it isn’t coercive or disrupt the school’s educational mission and activities.

HB 281 crosses that line. If passed, it would allow students to use the classroom to proselytize to fellow students. The bill doesn’t differentiate between personal observance, which is allowable, and outward promotion and proselytization of religion, which is blatantly unconstitutional.