Tony Thurmond: “today I am introducing the voluntary school prayer constitutional amendment. This bill is identical to S.J. Res. 73…”

“today I am introducing the voluntary school prayer constitutional amendment. This bill is identical to S.J. Res. 73, which I introduced in the 98th Congress at the request of then President Reagan and have reintroduced every Congress since. This proposal has received strong support from both sides of the aisle and is of vital importance to our Nation. It would restore the right to pray voluntarily in public schools--a right which was freely exercised under our Constitution until the 1960's, when the Supreme Court ruled to the contrary. Also, in 1985, the Supreme Court ruled an Alabama statute unconstitutional which authorized teachers in public schools to provide ``a period of silence ... for meditation or voluntary prayer'' at the beginning of each school day. As I stated when that opinion was issued and repeat again: the Supreme Court has too broadly interpreted the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and, in doing so, has incorrectly infringed on the rights of those children--and their parents--who wish to observe a moment of silence for religious or other purposes.”