Byrd Introduces School Prayer Amendment

West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd yesterday introduced in Congress a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow voluntary prayer in public schools. The proposed amendment reads:

Nothing in this Constitution, including any amendment to this Constitution, shall be construed to prohibit voluntary prayer or require prayer in public school, or to prohibit voluntary prayer or require prayer at a public school extracurricular activity.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that this is the eighth time in 43 years that Byrd has introduced the proposal. The Daily Mail also says that it has learned from Byrd's office that Byrd has talked about his amendment and the original intent of the drafters of the First Amendment with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. The full text of Byrd's expansive speech introducing the amendment is available from his website.