Texas policy allowing school chaplains spreads to other states
"Texas school boards had until Feb. 29 to vote on whether they want to bring religious chaplains into their schools to provide mental health support, as authorized under a law that took effect in September. The measure, SB 763, required boards to reach a decision within six months of the effective date."
"Since Texas passed the law last June, similar proposals have been considered in at least 13 other state legislatures, according to Interfaith Alliance, an organization advocating for religious freedom and democracy, and other groups. These states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah."
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Faith, Freedom, and Reproductive Rights
At the heart of our democracy is the belief that individuals should be free to make decisions guided by their own conscience, values, and beliefs, especially when it comes to their health care. The growing efforts to restrict access to reproductive health care under the guise of religious or political authority is deeply concerning and recent legal challenges across the country threaten not only access to care but also the foundational principle that no single religious tradition should determine public policy for everyone.
Do No Harm: Resisting the Misuse of Religious Exemptions
When does the right to religious freedom become a justification for harm? This question is at the heart of the misuse of religious exemption laws. These laws – protections granted under the First Amendment and utilized for centuries by individuals of all faiths – have been exploited by Christian Nationalists to undermine other fundamental rights, including equality and non-discrimination.