Anniston Star - Bill Would Require Reading of Congressional Prayers in Alabama Schools
Teachers in Alabama classrooms would be required to read a Congressional prayer every day under a bill filed in the state Legislature.
“If Congress can open with a prayer, and the state of Alabama Legislature can, I don’t see why schools can’t,” said Rep. Steve Hurst, R-Munford, the bill’s sponsor.
Hurst’s bill would require schools to set aside the first portion of the first class period every day “for study of the formal procedures followed by U.S. Congress,” which must include “a reading verbatim of one of the opening prayers” given at the opening of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives.
Hurst said the bill would help students learn more about history and civics.
“They could read the prayer from the day war was declared in World War II,” he said. “They could read the prayer the day after Sept. 11.”
The bill would limit the daily instruction on congressional procedures to 15 minutes per day. That instruction could include teaching about other procedures of Congress, but would always include the reading of a prayer.
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