The Center for Inquiry (CFI) Office of Public Policy (OPP) is calling on Louisiana residents to contact their state representatives and urge them to vote against two pieces of legislation currently before the House of Representatives:
- SB 112 is a “release time” bill that would allow students to miss up to five hours from school per week to attend religious classes off school grounds with written permission from a parent or guardian. This release time bill is currently before the House Committee on Education.
- SB 307 would authorize the public display of the Ten Commandments—a purely religious document—on the Louisiana Capitol grounds. SB 307 is currently before the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
Regarding SB 112, CFI Director of Government Affairs and Policy Azhar Majeed said:
“This legislation not only privileges religious education over a broad-based, secular education, it would disrupt the course of the school day at public schools across the state.”
And regarding SB307, Majeed stated:
“There is no secular purpose to be served by promoting the Ten Commandments in this manner at the very seat of the state government. Rather, the permitted display would send an unmistakable message to citizens that Louisiana’s government elevates religious laws over its duty to treat every person equally, no matter their faith or lack of faith.”
The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a nonprofit educational, advocacy, and research organization headquartered in Amherst, New York, with executive offices in Washington, D.C. It is also home to the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and the Council for Secular Humanism. The Center for Inquiry strives to foster a secular society based on reason, science, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. Visit CFI on the web at centerforinquiry.org.
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