(STATEHOUSE) February 13, 2006 -Resolution 1 (HR 1) on the content of prayer was presented on the House floor today and passed by a vote of 83-0. The resolution was brought forward so that members of the Indiana House of Representatives can formally register their opinion on the House floor, and for the record, on the need to protect the content of prayer offered in the Indiana House Chamber.

"The tradition of offering the daily invocation on the House floor must be preserved," said Speaker Bosma. "This resolution not only marks a moment in history for the Indiana House of Representatives to preserve this tradition, but it will continue to remind all of us, for generations to come, that this decision of the federal court to restrict prayer in the Indiana House of Representatives was intolerable."

HR 1 is in response to the injunction issued by the federal district court which forbids invited clerics and members to pray in the tradition and conscience of their faith. The House Resolution will be recorded in the House Journal so that future generations will know that the members of the Indiana House of Representatives expressed their will that the content of prayer should be protected from the court's interference.

Speaker of the House Brian C. Bosma, was sued by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana to stop religious prayer invoking the name of Jesus Christ from taking place before each legislative session day. Federal Judge David Hamilton ruled on the side of the ACLU of Indiana, and ordered Speaker Bosma to prevent the mention of the name Jesus Christ in prayer before session. The court opined that no prayers should mention "that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, or the Savior, or that he was resurrected, or that he will return on Judgment Day or is otherwise divine." The legislative prayer dates back to the founding of our state 189 years ago and no session, before this year, has ever begun without an official prayer.

On the opening day of the 2006 legislative session, Legislators took to the floor of the Indiana House of Representatives 10 minutes before the official start of session to pray. The Speaker was compelled to have the prayer delivered before the start of the legislative session, but away from the Speaker's podium to avoid excluding those, who in good conscience, could not offer prayers in compliance with the court's theological guidelines. This will be the standard procedure of prayer while the Speaker takes the additional steps to overturn this decision in a higher court. Speaker Bosma has instructed his legal counsel to file an appeal of the ruling with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. He has also vowed to take this case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.