Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee advances bill clarifying religious expression and notification; opponents warn of indoctrination risks
Summary
A bill reiterating existing law on religious expression in schools and clarifying how schools may notify students and staff of First Amendment rights passed the Senate Education Committee amid public comment opposing classroom or off-campus religious instruction.
The Senate Education Committee advanced a bill that restates existing statutory language about religious expression in public schools and clarifies how school districts may notify students and staff of their First Amendment rights.
Representative Lee Johnson, sponsor, told the committee the amendment clarifies that the required notification about students' and employees' religious rights can be communicated electronically or by placement in a handbook or policy manual, and emphasized that "this does not add or take away any rights" in the statute. Representative Johnson and others said the change is intended to provide a single, clear place for administrators to point when questions arise.
The bill reiterates language in…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
