SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE JOINT

RESOLUTION NO. 55

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BEARDEN, MAYER, PHILLIPS, COOPER, BERKSTRESSER,

MYERS, BARTLE, REINHART (Co-sponsors), REID, WRIGHT, BARTELSMEYER, LINTON,

HENDERSON, CUNNINGHAM, HEGEMAN, BEHNEN, QUINN, HUNTER, DEMPSEY, DOLAN,

HARTZLER, MILLER, JETTON, RECTOR, HENDRICKSON, KELLY (144), NORDWALD, KING, LONG,

SCOTT AND BLACK.

Read 1^st time February 20, 2002, and 1000 copies ordered printed.

TED WEDEL, Chief Clerk

4586L.01I

JOINT RESOLUTION

Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri an amendment repealing section 5 of article I of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting one new section in lieu thereof relating to voluntary prayer in schools.

That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday in November, 2002, or at a special election to be called by the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or rejection, the following amendment to article I of the Constitution of the state of Missouri:

Section A. Section 5, article I, Constitution of Missouri, is repealed and one new section adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 5, to read as follows:

Section 5. That all men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience; that no person shall, on account of his religious persuasion or belief, be rendered ineligible to any public office or trust or profit in this state, be disqualified from testifying or serving as a juror, or be molested in his person or estate; that to secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience, the state shall not establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed; that the state shall not compose school prayers nor require any person to join in any prayer or other religious activity, but shall allow public school pupils to pray privately and to voluntarily meet to pray in a nondisruptive manner on public school premises during the school day, or at school-related extracurricular events or student assemblies, all subject to the same rules of order that apply to other student speech; but this section shall not be construed to excuse acts of licentiousness, nor to justify practices inconsistent with the good order, peace or safety of the state, or with the rights of others.

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