An Oklahoma bill permitting students to leave school for up to three class periods a week for religious instruction is on its way to the governor’s desk.
House Bill 1425, which House lawmakers narrowly passed on Wednesday, would allow students to earn class credit for completing a religious or morality course from an “independent entity,” should the class meet criteria decided by their local school board.
The responsibility for transportation, funding and risk liability would fall on the student’s parents or the entity providing the course.
The Ohio-based nonprofit LifeWise Academy has advocated for the policy across the country with the stated goal of incorporating Bible education into the public school day.
HB 1425 author Rep. Clay Staires, R-Skiatook, said releasing students from school for religious classes is already legal under federal and Oklahoma law.
“This bill does not invent something new,” Staires said while debating in favor of the measure. “It does not legalize something that is illegal, and it does not create a new right for parents.”
State law permits students to be excused from school for religious purposes. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1952 that it is constitutional for public schools to allow students to leave campus during the school day to take religious classes, as long as it doesn’t cost any public funds.
The Oklahoma bill would permit students to be released for up to 125 class periods in a school year. The student would have to obtain parental permission and would be responsible for any missed schoolwork.
About two dozen House Republicans joined the Democratic minority in voting against HB 1425.
Lawmakers of both parties said the bill is too vague and could create a greater risk of lawsuits rather than preventing them. Multiple rural Republicans said school superintendents in their districts were adamantly against the legislation.
“I feel like we’re going to send home a firestorm of disruption that is going to last years, and we are going to be back on this floor trying to work it out,” said Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, during House debate.
The House voted 49-41 to approve Senate amendments to the bill and then sent it to the governor’s desk with a 50-40 tally.
House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, defended HB 1425 as a way to give local school boards a framework to expand opportunities for release-time religious courses if they so choose.
“What it does is it tells a child, ‘If the school board decides it’s worthy of elective credit, you can go take it,’” Echols said.
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence.
