Written by Don ByrdIn response to the state’s recent conflicts between state safety regulations and Amish religious beliefs, the Kentucky legislature passed a bill yesterday that allows white tape on the back of a horse-drawn buggy to satisfy vehicle safety requirements. Over the last year, several Amish residents of the state have been convicted and even imprisoned over their refusal to place bright orange reflectors on buggies, due to religious beliefs.
Written by Don Byrd
Yet another bill related to religion in schools took another step toward becoming law in Tennessee yesterday.
The House Education Committee passed legislation that attempts to protect religious speech by students, requiring school districts to establish a limited public forum at school assemblies like graduation and awards day to allow for religious speech.
Written by Don Byrd
In addition to the Nampa Classical Academy denial, the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday also declined to hear the Poway Unified School District case. There a teacher challenged the school district’s requirement that he remove his classroom banners with phrases like “God Shed His Grace on Thee.”
Written by Don Byrd
A federal judge in Massachusetts has ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution by allowing the US Conference of Catholic Bishops the right to distribute taxpayer funds based upon religious beliefs. The grants were awarded pursuant to legislation designed to combat human trafficking.
Written by Don Byrd
I suppose it’s possible that this isn’t the biggest news to come out of the U.S. Supreme Court today – I seem to remember they are up to something else this week… but in the orders issued today, they declined to take up the case of Nampa Classical Academy. Nampa was a charter school in Idaho that requested to use the Bible as central part of its primary source curriculum.
