IDAHO SECRETARY OF STATE Ben Ysursa, Secretary of State |
| Contact Person / Organization | Chuck Seldon |
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| Status | Deadline has passed. Proposed initiative will not be on the November 2010 ballot. | |
| Short Ballot Title | An initiative allowing school boards to permit the bible to be studied as literature and for its influence on history. | |
| Long Ballot Title | An initiative recognizing the 1963 declaration of the United States Supreme Court in the case Abington School District v. Schempp, that the bible is worth studying for its literary qualities and its influence on history. Recognizing further that the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that teaching the bible or religion objectively as part of a secular program of education, is permitted under the first amendment to the United States Constitution. Declaring it lawful to any local school board in Idaho to allow the approval and offering of an elective bible course in its public secondary schools. Requiring that, in order to promote academic excellence and cultural literacy and, at the same time, fulfill the requirements of the federal and state constitutions, elective bible curricula, at all times, be presented objectively and secularly and that sectarian or denominational doctrine never be endorsed or promoted. |
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| Attorney General Certificate of Review | Can be viewed by following this link to the Attorney General's web site. This document is provided in PDF file format, you must have Acrobat Reader to view the file. | |
Full Text |
SECTION 1. That Section 33-1619, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby enacted, to read as follows: 33-1619. ELECTIVE CURRICULA CONCERNING THE BIBLE. Recognizing that the United States Supreme Court declaring in Abington v. Schempp (1963), the "[t]he Bible is worth of study for its literary and historic qualities" and that "such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as a part of a secular program of education" is consistent with the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, it shall be lawful for any local school board in Idaho to allow for elective Bible course curricula to be approved and offered in its public secondary schools. To help promote academic excellence and cultural literacy in a manner that is consistent with the federal and state constitutions, any elective Bible curricula shall at all times be presented objectively as a part of a secular program of education, and shall not be used at any time to endorse or promote sectarian or denominational doctrine. |
| Idaho Secretary of State's Main Page | State of Idaho Home Page | |
| Comments, questions or suggestions can be emailed to: [email protected] | ||