As a federal appeals court prepares to hear arguments in a long-running dispute about the issue, a state senator filed a proposal Friday that could allow high schools to offer prayers over stadium loudspeakers before championship athletic events.
Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, included the proposal in a broader bill (SB 308) dealing with high-school sports. It would allow high schools participating in championship events to have up to two minutes to make remarks over loudspeakers and says the Florida High School Athletic Association could not 鈥渃ontrol, monitor, or review the content of the opening remarks and may not control the school鈥檚 choice of speaker.鈥�
While the bill does not specifically mention prayers, it comes as the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments in May in a battle between the athletic association and Tampa鈥檚 Cambridge Christian School.
The school filed a lawsuit after it was blocked from offering a prayer over the loudspeaker at Orlando鈥檚 Camping World Stadium before a 2015 high-school football championship game. It contends that the athletic association violated its speech rights.
But U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell backed the athletic association鈥檚 decision, ruling that it is a 鈥渟tate actor鈥� and did not violate First Amendment rights in denying the prayer.
The school then took the case to the Atlanta-based appeals court. Collins filed the bill for consideration during the legislative session that will start March 7.
