Religious Viewpoints Legislation Passes Senate

Senator James A. Williamson’s “Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act” passed the Senate today as an amendment to House Bill 2633.

Williamson’s amendment provides protection to students who voluntarily express their religious views at school.

The amendment reads, “Students may organize prayer groups, religious clubs, ‘see you at the pole’ gatherings, or other religious gatherings before, during, and after school to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities and groups.”

Through this legislation, religious groups are also given the same rights to school facilities for the assembling of or advertising of their organization, as other non-curricular groups receive. Students are also free from discrimination when expressing their religious beliefs in homework and artwork in addition to other written and oral assignments.

Williamson applauded the passage of this amendment and is encouraged by its positive provisions.

“We live in a country founded on religious freedom,” said Williamson. “This legislation is a step forward in protecting the rights our students have in expressing their religious views at school. A student or group of students can no longer be discriminated based upon the content of their religious expression, which is the right our forefathers gave us all.”