Senate panel rejects public-prayer bill

The Senate Courts of Justice committee yesterday voted down a bill that would have allowed sectarian prayer at government meetings and events.

Senate Bill 1072, sponsored by Sen. Stephen H. Martin, R-Chesterfield, was formulated in response to a decision last year by Virginia State Police, based on a federal court ruling, to instruct police chaplains to deliver only nonsectarian prayers at public events.

Courts Committee lawyer Steven D. Benjamin said the bill, as written, could be ruled unconstitutional. The Virginia Municipal League also spoke against the measure, saying it would open local governments to lawsuits.

Martin's measure failed on a 9-6 vote.

On Wednesday, the House of Delegates voted 66-30 to pass House Bill 2314, a similar bill focused more specifically on the kinds of functions performed by state police chaplains.

It says the Virginia State Police cannot "prescribe, proscribe, regulate, limit or otherwise dictate the religious content of the volunteer chaplains' expression of religious beliefs, prayers, invocations, benedictions, spiritual counseling or spiritual guidance."

The ACLU says that measure is unconstitutional.

Contact Jim Nolan at (804) 649-6061 or .