New committee, same result: Religious instruction bill stalls in Alabama House
A bill that would require local school boards to adopt policies on extending academic credit for 'religious instruction' outside the classroom failed an Alabama House committee on Wednesday.
SB 278, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville, is identical to HB 342, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, that failed the House Education Policy Committee on April 2. DuBose presented the legislation to the House State Government Committee.
'This bill simply allows public school students to enrich their school opportunities with an optional religious class. The bill simply requires our school districts to create a policy that allows students to attend an off campus religious class during the school day,' DuBose said.
The Senate passed the legislation 25-6 on April 22 after the Senate Education Policy Committee approved it with one 'no' vote.The Legislature passed a law in 2019 that allows school boards to adopt a policy on released time religious instruction (RTRI). The 2025 legislation would mandate such policies.
But House members have been far more skeptical about the legislation, citing pushback from school superintendents.
Sunnie Cotton, the director of LifeWise Academy in Alabama and a proponent of the legislation, called it a parental rights bill.
'This bill strengthens parental rights and protects religious freedom while giving parents the choice to provide religious instruction for their children during the school day,' Cotton said.
According to LifeWise's sample curriculum, the organization teaches the Christian belief that 'God created all things good' to a list of virtues that the nonprofit describes as 'LifeWise qualities.' Cotton said the organization is operating in about 600 schools nationwide and is prepared to launch over 900 programs this year.
DuBose claimed 4,500 Alabama parents have signed a petition in support of the legislation. DuBose has not presented the petition when requested Wednesday.
Ryan Hollingsworth, executive director of the State Superintendents Association, has been a consistent opponent of the legislation. Hollingsworth said Wednesday he is not convinced that the petition has been signed by Alabama parents.
'I don't believe those are verified as being the parents of Alabama students in public schools if they are,' Hollingsworth said. 'Even if they are, we have about 725,000 students, so that's about a half of 1% of folks that have signed it.'
He said the bill is lacking key definitions of religious instruction, core instruction and sponsoring entity.
'We have 1,080 hours in the school year to cover everything the state board requires,' Hollingsworth said. 'There's 8,760 hours in the calendar year. That means the parent has the responsibility of the child about 88% of the time.'
Scott Suttle, St. Clair County Board of Education president and Alabama Association of School Boards (AASB) president-elect, echoed similar concerns. He said the legislation is government overreach in schools.
'Our local leaders have been abundantly clear that we don't want another overreach into our school systems,' Suttle said. 'It works as it is. Let's please leave it as it is.'
Sally Smith, executive director of the AASB, said after the bill failed that she is thankful the committee listened to school board leaders.
'We are pleased with the committee outcome. We think that the law as it is is working fine,' she said in an interview after the meeting.
Jennifer Riggs, a mother from Huntsville, brought her son to the meeting, like she did at the Senate Education Policy Committee public hearing on April 15. She said the program has helped her children learn about the Bible in public schools since they cannot afford to send their four children to private school.
'Five days per week, seven hours per day, and in public school, the Bible is not being taught. We believe a release time for religious instruction program would bridge that gap,' she said. 'I believe this is legislation that upholds parental rights by allowing us to choose Bible education for our children without having to incur the financial burdens of private school.'
Rep. Marcus Paramore, R-Troy, who also serves on the House Education Policy Committee, said he would not support the legislation because of its failure in the first committee.
'So here we are in another committee trying to get a bill that was voted down, back out and on the floor in a different format,' he said. 'I just want to make some comments and make it clear for what Mr. Hollingsworth said earlier this has already been before a body in this house once this year, and here we are again.'
The committee had a tie vote on the legislation 4-4 with Paramore; Rep. Russell Bedsole, R-Alabaster; Rep. Barbra Boyd, D-Anniston; and Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Huntsville, opposing it. In order for the legislation to receive final approval from the House, a House committee would have to approve the legislation on May 14, the final day of the 2025 session.
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