FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 11, 2005

ATLANTA—Georgia Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) today expressed outrage at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) latest attempt to circumvent the constitutionally protected right of Georgians to freely express their religious beliefs in a public domain.

In a lawsuit filed earlier this week, the ACLU is demanding that the Cobb County Commission disallow overtly Christian prayers at the opening of each Commission meeting.

“As long as I am Speaker of the House, we will continue to open each legislative day with an inspirational message and prayer without regard to what the ACLU or any other liberal group thinks,” Richardson said.  “We will continue to welcome the members of our states’ clerical family to lead this legislative body in inspirational messages and daily prayers.  We will not be intimidated or robbed of our Constitutionally protected right of religious expression by what amounts to a group of out of touch, liberal bullies who hijack our nation’s judicial system to force their extreme social ideas the citizens of our state and our country.”

Every legislative day in the Georgia House begins with a spiritual message and prayer given by different religious leaders from across our state and representing many different faiths.  Members of the House invite religious leaders from their community to serve as “Chaplain of the Day” during the legislative session leading members in an inspirational message and prayer.

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