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Committee sends voluntary-school-prayer bill to summer study after debate over curriculum implications
Summary
Representative Balsosponsored HB 1491 to allow voluntary vocal prayer before or after school and to teach the Bible as literature; members praised the prayer portion but expressed strong concerns about adding religious content to in-school curriculum, and the committee voted to send the bill to summer study.
The full committee considered House Bill 1491, a measure the sponsor described as restoring voluntary vocal prayer to public schools and adding instruction on the Bible as literature and history to K–12 curricula. "So it provides for voluntary vocal prayer in public schools...in order to participate, any faculty member, staff member, student, or parent would have to sign a written consent form to participate," Representative Balso (Speaker 9) told the committee.
Several committee members supported the prayer portion but warned the bill's curriculum mandates could create scheduling and standards challenges. Chairman Hastings (Speaker 10) said scheduling and instruction-time impacts in his districts made him unable to support the bill as written. Other members suggested the curriculum language belongs in an elective or requires longer review. After debate and an objection to immediate passage, members voted to send the bill to summer study.
Sponsor Balso emphasized the bill was drafted to comply with recent Supreme Court guidance and said the prayer would be voluntary and outside instructional time; opponents pressed the committee to consider the effect on required instructional minutes and state standards reviews. The committee recorded the motion to send HB 1491 to summer study.
