KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the waning hours of the legislative session, Missouri lawmakers passed a bill long-sought by a pair of Christian lawmakers that would allow public schools to offer elective courses on the Bible.
The legislation, filed by state Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat, allows public schools and public charter schools to offer elective social studies classes including but not limited to the “Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament of the Bible” and the “New Testament of the Bible.”
It passed the Missouri Senate on a unanimous vote of 31 to 0 in March. And then, with just more than an hour left in this year’s session and with little debate, the House voted 108 to 30 last week to send the bill to Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s desk.
