Senate Panel Approves Bible Class in Schools
Posted on: Thursday, 9 March 2006, 18:00 CST
By John Davis, Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.
Mar. 9--The Senate Education Committee has approved a bill to establish a high school elective called "The Bible and Its Influence."
The bill, sponsored by Rules Committee Chairman Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega, came out of committee 4-2 over the "no" votes of Sens. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, and Jimmy Holley, D-Elba.
A similar bill received opposition in the House because it specified BLP Publishing's book "The Bible and Its Influence" as the course textbook. The Senate bill gives school boards more latitude in terms of textbooks, listing the BLP book specifically but also allowing for any other textbook, including the Bible.
This is not enough for Byrne, who says he doesn't want the Legislature to make an end run around the state's textbook selection process.
"That textbook selection process is very involved," said Byrne, a former member of the State Board of Education.
Byrne predicted a Republican-led filibuster of the bill if the textbook language isn't changed.
"Take the name of the book out, and we're fine," he said, noting that he has nothing against the book itself but thinks it's "bad education policy" for the Legislature to put specific textbooks in the Alabama Code.
Montgomery-based Redeem the Vote, a faith-based political organization, is pushing for Bible class legislation in several states.
"The Republicans look stupid on this issue," said Randy Brinson, chairman of Redeem the Vote's board. Brinson characterizes the committee-passed bill as a move to "increase the comfort level of school boards to offer Bible courses."
Brinson supports using the BLP text but has made room for other books in the bill he helped draft.
The nonprofit Bible Literacy Project Inc. is pushing "The Bible and Its Influence" textbook and has gotten The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty to defend legal challenges to its Bible curriculum, meaning that schools that use the book could get free legal help if there's a challenge.
This, Byrne says, does not sweeten the deal.
"I don't think we should be depending upon a private organization to defend the state on anything," he said.
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Source: Montgomery Advertiser
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