FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky Senators voted Feb. 10 for the measure that defends the rights of students to express religious beliefs in public schools and allows the Bible to be used for the study of religion.
Senate Bill (SB) 17 passed with a vote of 31-3. It now moves to the House.
The bill also would permit school boards to allow schools to sponsor “artistic or theatrical programs” that advance the learning of cultural or religious heritage.
That provision is in part a response to a Kentucky school’s decision to cut Bible passages referenced in a performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
A statement released by the Human Rights Campaign said that the bill, “among other things, allow student groups at colleges, universities and high schools to discriminate against LGBTQ students.”
The bill sets guidelines for schools to allow religious beliefs to be expressed on school grounds. It allows teachers to use the Bible for the study of religion, its history and role in the U.S.
