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Committee raises separation-of-church-and-state questions about charter preamble
Summary
A committee member questioned the preamble's phrase expressing gratitude to "almighty God" and flagged double negatives and capitalization inconsistencies in Article 1; staff said such edits could be included if broader edits are made to the section.
Committee member (4) identified language in the charter's preamble that reads "grateful to almighty God for the blessings of the Liberty" and said he questioned whether that phrasing is appropriate given separation of church and state concerns. He asked the committee to consider revising or removing the phrase if the section is otherwise being edited.
The member also pointed out instances of double negatives and inconsistent capitalization in Article 1 and suggested rewording for clarity (for example, replacing phrases like "not in conflict with general laws" with "consistent with state law"). Staff responded that such edits would be appropriate, particularly when making other substantive changes to that section, and that the drafting team can include grammatical and capitalization corrections as part of broader revisions.
Why it matters: Preamble language can carry symbolic and legal weight. While the preamble alone may not change enforceable law, wording can affect public perceptions and could raise legal or constitutional questions if interpreted as state endorsement of religion.
Staff agreed to include these editorial concerns on future agendas as the committee proceeds through Article 1 and related sections.
