Kaitlin L Lange

kaitlin.lange@courierpress.com

A Senate committee approved legislation protecting students' religious freedoms Wednesday, but not without attempts to change the measure.

The Senate Education and Career committee shot down an amendment that would have expanded the bill to voucher schools.

"In fairness, any school that receives public funding should fall under this bill," said Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, who voted against the bill. "And again I think that if it's good for public schools and charter schools, it would also be necessary for private schools that received vouchers."

Chairman Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, said when lawmakers passed the original voucher language, they made a commitment to not weigh them down with regulations. In his eyes, this would have been another statute with added weight.

House Bill 1024 protects students who wish to pray or show their religious expression before, during and after school. Supporters of the legislation say the bill just clarifies protections already in place for students and would allow for students to learn about other religions.

"House Bill 1024 is not a mandate for prayer," said author Rep. John Bartlett, D-Indianapolis. "It really puts everything into perspective. A lot of schools are afraid to have prayer in schools or allow their students to pray because they are afraid of a lawsuit."

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Opponents, however, worry about the impact on students in the religious minority.

Stoops said it could lead to bullying and exclusion.

"For me it can be an avenue for cruel treatment of the other, of kids who are not of a certain faith, or a different faith," Stoops said. "I just don’t understand how you can protect these students from bullying"

During testimony, Rabbi Shelley Goldman asked lawmakers not to "add insult to injury," referring to recent bomb threats against Jewish people across the nation, including at the JCC in Indianapolis.

Others like Tim McRoberts, the associate executive director for the Indiana Association of School Principals, just didn't see the necessity in the bill, since students already have religious freedom.

Before approving the bill 8-2, lawmakers also removed a provision that would have created a public forum for students to speak about their religion at any event where students were permitted to give speeches, such as at graduation.

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Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, said that particular section was "out of sync" with the rest of the bill.

"It requires the schools proactively to develop policies that control certain kinds of public events," Kenley said. "And I think the bill itself is going to be somewhat of a challenge for schools and school corporations to implement. But I think it serves a worthy purpose, and I think section five pushes it just a little too hard in that regard."

The measure, which previously passed the House 83-12 moves to the Senate floor for a vote.

Call Evansville Courier & Press reporter Kaitlin Lange at (812) 549-1429. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.