Bill Filed Clarifying Public School Students Can Receive Religious Instruction Off-Campus

Religious Freedom, , ,

New legislation in Little Rock would make it clear that public school students may be excused from school for religious instruction off-campus during the week.

Legally in America, public schools may set aside “released time” during the school week for students to voluntarily attend religious classes off-campus.

Released time makes it possible for students to be excused from school so they can attend weekly Bible studies or other religious classes during normal school hours.

Historically, state laws and court rulings have let public schools establish released time policies. In 2007 the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote about released time programs in Arkansas and elsewhere around the country, noting, “Even the Arkansas American Civil Liberties Union agrees it’s allowable.”

H.B. 1139 by Rep. Brit McKenzie (R — Rogers) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) is a good bill that would strengthen Arkansas’ law concerning released time. The bill writes released time into state law, and it clarifies that public schools must excuse students for released time for one to five hours a week, if the student’s parents request it.

H.B. 1139 helps respect and protect the religious freedom of public school students. You can read the bill here.

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Americans Say Homelessness, Crime, Personal Finances Have Gotten Worse. We Believe Churches Can Help

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Polling shows Americans feel homelessness and crime are growing problems in America, and they say their personal finances have gotten worse.

In October, Rasmussen published results of a survey showing 61% of American adults believe homelessness in America has gotten worse over the past four years.

In a separate survey, 40% of American adults told Rasmussen their personal financial situation had worsened in the past six months.

Rasmussen also found nearly half (47%) of American adults feel crime has gotten worse in their communities.

Each survey polled more than 1,000 people.

Stories like these underscore why Family Council launched the Church Ambassador Network initiative earlier this year.

The Church Ambassador Network builds relationships between church leaders and elected leaders regardless of their political leanings. Our goal is for elected officials to see churches as a resource that can address many of the problems that communities face.

Many Americans do not fully appreciate how much churches do for their communities. Nationwide, researchers estimate that churches, ministries, and religious charities provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of services every year.

Our Arkansas Church Ambassador Network currently has about 400 churches in it. In the coming months, we want to help elected officials and churches work together to address issues like foster care, fatherless homes, addiction, and human trafficking in Arkansas.

If you help lead a church or similar ministry in Arkansas, we would invite you to join the Church Ambassador Network for free today.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas Gov. Sanders Unites Faith Leaders to Tackle State’s Key Social Issues

Religious Freedom,

CBN News recently reported from Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Faith Summit in Little Rock.

Family Council and our Arkansas Justice Institute division were pleased to support the summit.

CBN News reports:

Flanked by her father, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Sanders spoke candidly about her belief that faith is a driving force behind addressing issues like food insecurity, foster care, social media concerns, and educational freedom.

“I hope this becomes an annual event in Arkansas,” said Stephanie Nichols, of the Arkansas Justice Institute, who emphasized the importance of school choice in education and how the state’s LEARNS Act provides funding for parents of eligible students who choose private schooling or homeschooling.

Nichols added, “One example I encouraged attendees to consider is how my kids attend a homeschool co-op held in a church. If more churches opened their facilities for educational purposes, we’d have more children educated with biblical worldviews.”

You can learn more by watching CBN’s news coverage below.

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