Idaho Gov. C. L. "Butch" Otter vetoed the Bible-related public school bill that would permit public schools to use Bible on its teachings. Otter claimed that it's a violation of the constitution.
It was a significant decision for Otter because it was his first veto of this year, according to Herald Courier. In the letter of the governor's veto of the bible-related public school bill, he claimed that he respected the bible but he said that the bill is unconstitutional.
The Bible is already used in public schools as a reference for the students' studies. However, with the bible-related public school bill, the holy book would be used specifically as a reference for other subjects including literature, history, music and world geography.
"I have deep respect and appreciation for the Bible as religious doctrine as well as a piece of historic literature," Otter wrote in a letter accompanying the veto. "However, allowing S1342 to become law is a direct contravention to the Idaho Constitution and it could result for the loss of funding and costly litigation for Idaho public schools."
Q13 Fox claims that the bible-related public school bill was passed by the house during the last week of this year's session. The attorney general's office questioned the legality of the bill earlier before the session. According to the attorney general's office, the bill violates the Idaho Constitution that bans the use of secretarian books or denomination character in public schools.
After the bill was vetoed by the governor, Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, the author of the bible-related public school bill expressed her disappointment over Otter's decision. She claimed that the legislation was accepted by the majority of the lawmakers.
"People with last names like Washington, Adams, and Madison blatantly identified the Bible as that reference point. They feared not having it would result in corruption and misuse of taxpayer funds. Are they right?" she said in a prepared statement, ABC News Go reported.
Otter's decision to veto the bible-related public school bill comes after Tennessee approved the bill that would make the Bible its official state book. It is not the only religious-based measure that is being discussed in the legislature. One of the bills that was recently thrown out on the house floor was the exclusion of Shariah law in court cases and government agencies.
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