Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

The Kentucky legislature is in full swing. So far several hundred bills have been introduced. They range from the mundane to the highly controversial. A few high profile bills include school safety, expanded gambling, abolition of the death penalty, abortion bans and free speech protections in our universities. One bill in particular is likely to draw criticism. It would recognize the last Wednesday in September as a day of prayer for Kentucky students. Prayer in school has long been a contentious issue. But should it? The legislature opens in prayer before they convene. So why not acknowledge a day of prayer for students? After all, our state Constitution acknowledges God as the giver of our freedoms and this includes the freedom to pray—whether they're elected officials in the legislature or children in our public schools.