AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Christmas is more than six months away, but it’s on the minds of Gov. Rick Perry and many Texas lawmakers.
The governor signed into law today a bipartisan bill removing any legal risks of saying “Merry Christmas” in Texas public schools. He says “religious freedom does not mean freedom from religion.”
Traditional holiday symbols, such as a menorah or Nativity scene, also are protected, so long as more than one religion and a secular symbol are also reflected.
The bill’s sponsor, Houston Republican Rep. Dwayne Bohac (BOH’-hak), says he drafted the legislation after his eight-year-old son Reagan told him that his public school had decorated a “holiday tree” with “holiday ornaments.”
The signing ceremony was attended by cheerleaders from Kountze (KOONTS) High School who won a court decision allowing them to display banners emblazoned with Bible verses at football games.
Source: Associated Press
