The Alabama House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would mandate that schools begin each day with the Pledge of Allegiance and a voluntary period for prayer.
HB511 by Rep. Reed Ingram, R-Pike Road, proposes a constitutional amendment to make the mandates, meaning voters will still need to approve the change if the bill makes it through the Senate.
During the 2019 Legislative Session, Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter passed legislation mandating the Pledge of Allegiance be recited at the beginning of each school day. That same session, Ledbetter also passed legislation allowing public schools to offer elective courses focusing on the study of the Bible in grades six to 12.
“Our nation’s founding was shaped by Christian values, and I am proud to live in a state that does not shy away from that,” Ledbetter said. “We should be teaching our children to take pride in being American and to boldly share their faith, which is why prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance belong in our schools. I am proud that the House has passed this important legislation and hope to see the Senate follow suit so the people of Alabama can vote on it.”
The bill as initially filed by Ingram threatened to withhold 25 percent of state funding to schools who do not conduct the pledge of allegiance to start each school day, or boards who fail to make a timely vote on voluntary prayer time.
But as debate dragged on the bill Tuesday on the House floor, Rep. David Faulkner, R-Montgomery, offered an amendment that stripped that language while also changing the bill to require any prayer to be student-initiated and led.
“The amendment changes the bill in ways that really, really matter,” Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham, told Ingram. “So I thank you for being open to that and Faulkner for all the work on everything to make that happen.”
The amendment also explicitly allows students to opt out based on their own beliefs.
Democrats filibustered the bill for nearly two hours, raising concerns about how the law might impact students’ rights to religious freedom. Meanwhile, Ingram connected the lack of prayer in schools to everything from plummeting grades to rising incarceration rates.
“It is past time we get prayer back in Alabama’s schools,” Ingram said. “All across the nation, we are seeing examples of states moving away from the beliefs this country was founded upon, whether it be through anti-religious policies or by teaching children to believe America is anything other than the greatest country on planet Earth. I firmly believe the people of Alabama want no part in that, and from the feedback I have received, they want the opportunity to vote on this constitutional amendment.”
The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.
