David Williams Takes Steve Beshear To Task Over Public Prayer.
David Williams calls on Gov. Steve Beshear to defend public prayer
Written by ROGER ALFORD
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Questions in a rural southeastern Kentucky school district over whether ministers should be allowed to lead public prayers at athletic events spilled over into the governor’s race Friday after an email surfaced showing a state government bureaucrat was the one who advised against the practice.
In the email, Kentucky Department of Education attorney Amy Peabody advised the Bell County school district that she believes allowing Christian prayers at the beginning of football games is unconstitutional. She advised the district to “cease this activity immediately.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams criticized Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear for not getting involved. Williams, the state Senate president, is one of two candidates running against Beshear in the Nov. 8 election.
“I call on Gov. Beshear to denounce this attack on prayer at public functions and lead the efforts of state government to defend our citizens’ right to voluntarily pray anywhere they choose,” Williams said in a statement.
Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson had no immediate comment.
Bell County schools Superintendent George Thompson said last week that the public prayers had been halted after receiving a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Local pastors had been invited to lead the prayers over loudspeakers in the stadium.
Thompson said previous court rulings made him believe the county would lose a legal battle if the matter went to court.
Williams, a darling of the state’s social conservatives for his stands against abortion and gambling, said in a statement that he considers it “a travesty” that Beshear has remained silent on the issue.
“Steve Beshear has a troubling history of failing to protect our precious freedom of religion,” Williams said. “As attorney general, he ruled that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional. As governor, he decided to call the state’s Christmas tree a ‘holiday tree.’ And now his administration has advised the Bell County school system to end the tradition of praying before football games.”
Written by ROGER ALFORD
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Questions in a rural southeastern Kentucky school district over whether ministers should be allowed to lead public prayers at athletic events spilled over into the governor’s race Friday after an email surfaced showing a state government bureaucrat was the one who advised against the practice.
In the email, Kentucky Department of Education attorney Amy Peabody advised the Bell County school district that she believes allowing Christian prayers at the beginning of football games is unconstitutional. She advised the district to “cease this activity immediately.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams criticized Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear for not getting involved. Williams, the state Senate president, is one of two candidates running against Beshear in the Nov. 8 election.
“I call on Gov. Beshear to denounce this attack on prayer at public functions and lead the efforts of state government to defend our citizens’ right to voluntarily pray anywhere they choose,” Williams said in a statement.
Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson had no immediate comment.
Bell County schools Superintendent George Thompson said last week that the public prayers had been halted after receiving a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Local pastors had been invited to lead the prayers over loudspeakers in the stadium.
Thompson said previous court rulings made him believe the county would lose a legal battle if the matter went to court.
Williams, a darling of the state’s social conservatives for his stands against abortion and gambling, said in a statement that he considers it “a travesty” that Beshear has remained silent on the issue.
“Steve Beshear has a troubling history of failing to protect our precious freedom of religion,” Williams said. “As attorney general, he ruled that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional. As governor, he decided to call the state’s Christmas tree a ‘holiday tree.’ And now his administration has advised the Bell County school system to end the tradition of praying before football games.”
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 11:44 AM
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