Texas Education Board Urges Senate to Reject Voucher Scheme

Written by Don Byrd
Texas’ State Board of Education voted 10-5 Friday urging the Senate to oppose any variety of school voucher legislation. Senate Bill 23, which passed the Senate Education Committee, would provide tax credits to businesses that provide money to low-income students to attend private or religious schools.

Free exercise standards increasingly debated

By K. Hollyn Hollman, BJC General Counsel
While it is not surprising that RFRA — like religious liberty in general — is more popular in principle than in its specific applications, research suggests that even among states that have enacted some version of RFRA, there has been scant litigation testing the statutes’ application to various types of claims.

From the April 2013 Report from the Capital

Is Yoga Religious Exercise? Yes and No

Written by Don Byrd
You may have heard, the yoga wars are heating up. A lawsuit filed in California is challenging a school district’s use of yoga in the physical education curriculum, arguing that it improperly promotes a religious view. Meanwhile, the White House is taking criticism for its encouragement of yoga as a means of promoting health.

Rapid City Says the Best Policy is No Policy At All

Written by Don Byrd
In February, Rapid City, South Dakota sought the advice of its attorney regarding its invocation practice, following a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The attorney offered a set of options that included some sound advice: craft a non-sectarian, inclusive policy, and consider moving the prayer so that it occurs before the meeting, rather than as an official part of the meeting. So how did the Council respond?