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

Now as quickly as it was proposed, HB 318 has passed through the legislature,,,

By way of a voice vote, the House Education Policy Committee passed a bill that would require teachers to recite Christian prayers in public schools every day, even though the majority of members did not vote for it.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve Hurst, R-Munford, would require teachers to spend no more than 15 minutes in the first class of each day to read, verbatim, opening prayers said before a meeting of the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate.

Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin, R-Indian Springs, chairwoman of the committee, said she heard more votes in favor of the bill.

“It’s what I heard as chairman,” she said.

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House Clerk Jeff Woodard said the chairman of each committee has the discretion to decide the outcome of a voice vote. Committee members can request roll call votes if there’s a dispute, but none of the Education Policy committee members did.

Woodard said the majority of bills coming out of committees are passed by voice vote.

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

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From Americans United for Separation of Church & State,,, 

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.

Even if the teacher’s prayer is not specific to any certain religion, it would show government endorsement of religion over non-religion and would almost certainly make some children feel uncomfortable and ostracized if they need to step into the hallway to avoid the prayer. Because it is likely to be found unconstitutional, this bill would inevitably waste taxpayer money with endless lawsuits.

Anniston Star - Bill would require reading of Congressional prayers in Alabama schools

Teachers in Alabama classrooms would be required to read a Congressional prayer every day under a bill filed in the state Legislature.

"If Congress can open with a prayer, and the state of Alabama Legislature can, I don't see why schools can't," said Rep. Steve Hurst, R-Munford, the bill's sponsor.

Hurst's bill would require schools to set aside the first portion of the first class period every day "for study of the formal procedures followed by U.S. Congress," which must include "a reading verbatim of one of the opening prayers" given at the opening of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives.

Hurst said the bill would help students learn more about history and civics.

"They could read the prayer from the day war was declared in World War II," he said. "They could read the prayer the day after Sept. 11."

The bill would limit the daily instruction on congressional procedures to 15 minutes per day. That instruction could include teaching about other procedures of Congress, but would always include the reading of a prayer.

Anniston Star - Bill would require reading of Congressional prayers in Alabama schools

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Hemant Mehta makes an interesting point, one only a school teacher would be keenly aware of,,,

Setting aside the likely unconstitutionality of this idea, I have to go back to the length of time again. As a teacher in Illinois, we’re required by law to have an approximately 15-second moment of silence to start our day. It’s completely unnecessary and a complete waste of time. Hurst thinks he’d be doing kids a favor by wasting up to 15 minutes per day? That’s approximately 45 hours a year that wouldn’t be spent teaching the kids something more useful.