On Tuesday, the Texas House of Representatives approved by a vote of 121- 10 (with one person voting Present) HB 3678, the Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act, also known as the Schoolchildren's Religious Liberties Act. The bill requires public schools to allow students to express religious viewpoints in the same way that it permits them to express other points of view. It provides that students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other assignments, and may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, "see you at the pole" gatherings, or other religious events before, during, and after school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other noncurricular activities. The bill sets out a Model Policy that schools may adopt to comply with the bill's requirements.
Monday's San Antonio Express-News reports that the bill, now in the Senate Education Committee, is strongly supported by Texas Governor Rick Perry. However Kathy Miller, head of the Texas Freedom Network, says that the bill threatens religious freedom because "students will be held captive to the expression of religious beliefs that they and their families may not share". (See prior related posting.)
