Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law this week in Bal Harbour requiring all K-12 schools in Florida to start each day with a moment of silence. This will allow students to pray or meditate before starting the day’s activities.
“It's something that's important to be able to provide each student the ability, every day, to be able to reflect and to be able to pray as they see fit. The idea that you can just push God out of every institution, and be successful, I'm sorry, our Founding Fathers did not believe that,” the governor said on Monday during the bill signing, as reported by The Blaze.
What are the details?
The governor signed the “Moment of Silence in Public Schools” bill into law while he was taking part in an event organized at The Shul of Bal Harbour in Surfside.
The law requires every teacher in a Florida public school to set aside at least one minute during the first period of a school day. That time will be reserved for silent observation.
Teachers are also prohibited by the law from offering any suggestions as to how a student should use the moments of silence. Parents are strongly encouraged to talk about this activity with their kids. It is reportedly a law meant to just give students the opportunity to meditate or pray if they wish to do so.
“The Legislature finds that in today's hectic society too few persons are able to experience even a moment of quiet reflection before plunging headlong into the activities of daily life. Young persons are particularly affected by the absence of an opportunity for a moment of quiet reflection. The Legislature finds that our youth, and society as a whole, would be well served if students in the public schools were afforded a moment of silence at the beginning of each school day,” is stated in the law.
According to The Blaze, the bill passed easily, garnering a 94-24 vote in the House and a 32-6 vote in the Senate.
However, Democratic Rep. Lori Berman, reportedly questioned if students should be able have a rosary, make the sign of the cross, or bring a prayer rug for the moment of silence.
The law signed in Bal Harbour that guarantees the moment of silence for all students will go into effect on July 1.