Lone Star State’s Religious Expression Bill Goes Into Effect Sept. 1
It’s a shame we even need this law. It should be common sense.
Under a new law enacted earlier this summer and going into effect in a few weeks, public school students in Texas should feel less intimidated by the threat of legal action when sharing or expressing their personal faith on campus, whether it be verbally or in a class assignment.
The “Religious Viewpoints Anti-Discrimination Act” (HB 3678), approved during the last legislative session and signed by Texas Governor Rick Perry in early June, gives public school districts across the Lone Star State until September 1 to adopt a policy designating school events where public forums will be available for students. Many say it will create more opportunities for students to express their religious views in public schools — perhaps because the new law creates guidelines for student speakers at graduation ceremonies, football games, and other school-wide events, and also allows students to organize religious groups and activities.
Jonathan Saenz is with Plano-based Liberty Legal Institute, which helped draft the bill. He says the new law will protect the free-speech rights of students.
“This bill will give students confidence to be able to talk about what their beliefs are, just like students talk about all other kinds of topics and interests they have,” Saenz explains. “They won’t feel like they’re second-class citizens because they actually talk about something that’s religious or they happen to mention the name ‘God’ when they’re in a public school — something that our Supreme Court has said for years they’re allowed to do.”
