Despite constitutional concerns from opponents, the Texas Legislature passed a bill May 23 to allow a period for prayer or religious study — part of a larger national movement to infuse more Christianity into schools.
The House gave final ap proval to the bill 88-48, after spending hours on Thursday debating the measure and casting a key vote that showed all the Republicans who were present and a handful of Democrats in favor. The Senate had voted 23-7 for the measure in March. The bill goes now to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it.
The bill, Senate Bill 11 by Galveston Republican Sen. Mayes Middleton, allows school districts to adopt a policy to provide students and staff a daily period of prayer or time to read a religious text. It sets an effective date of Sept. 1.
The bill requires school districts to take a vote on whether or not to allow the prayer or study period within six months of the law going into effect — but permits students, with consent of a parent or guardian, to have a prayer or study period either way. It also bans any prayer or religious reading over a loudspeaker, or in the presence of any student who does not have a consent form signed.
