Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for March 5, 2008 SILENCE IS GOLDEN...

...or maybe just a "Golden Oldie"!

Ill. House says "silence" should be optional

By Kathleen Haughney
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois lawmakers voted Tuesday to scale back the "moment of silence" law — making the practice optional rather than mandatory.

The measure passed the House 72-31 and will now go to the Senate.

Legislators have been divided over the issue since October, when the Legislature voted to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich's veto of a bill that required all schools to begin the day with a moment of silence that could be used for prayer or silent reflection.

But soon after the law was passed, lawmakers began to question their decision.

A Chicago-area court suspended the law because of a constitutional challenge that the law was a government-sponsored religious mandate. And several legislators publicly said that they had received complaints from schools in their districts.

Rep. John Fritchey, D-Chicago, said the new bill would make the moment of silence optional. He added that students should be able to think about anything they wish rather than the "anticipated activities of the day" as the law mandates.

"If that student were to think about anything else, they would be in violation of the law," he said.

Previous Illinois law allowed teachers the option to set aside a moment each morning "for silent prayer or for silent reflection."

Rep. Jerry Mitchell, R-Rock Falls, said that although he originally voted for the mandatory moment of silence, he now backs the optional moment. He noted that most students already observe a moment of silence on their own, particularly if they are praying to do well on an exam.

"I know I prayed multiple times for that reason," he quipped.

Rep. William Davis, D-Hazel Crest, who proposed the law to make a moment of silence mandatory, said he still stands by the law. He added that his intention was not to advance prayer in schools, but to give students a moment for reflection.

Many lawmakers argued in committee meetings and during a House debate that the moment took up time that was better used for instruction. However, Davis said he disagreed with the charge and said he has not received complaints from school districts in his area.

"I think school districts are smart enough to be able to implement this without it causing a lot of problems or huge disruption in their day," Davis said.

The legislation is HB4180.