House committee debates allowing school credit for religious "released time"; amendment attached then bill tabled

A House Education Committee on HB 343 spent more than an hour debating whether and how public school districts could award academic credit for religious "released time" instruction, then voted to table the bill after close roll calls on amendments and the measure itself.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Greg, would authorize school district trustees to adopt a policy allowing academic credit for religious instruction presented during released time. The sponsor said the measure merely “authorize[s]” districts and drew on longstanding practice in some states and earlier Montana policy.

Supporters and opponents both told the committee the legislation would create choice for parents and students but raised sharply different questions about how districts would verify course content, supervise instructors and avoid constitutional entanglement between church and state. "I do find, however, that I still have some concerns ... we might run afoul of our constitutional provisions…