Thursday, March 27, 2008

House Cmt. Clears Dixon Document Bill

The House Special Committee on General laws has passed a bill that would protect the display of historical documents in public buildings, regardless of whether they contain religious content.

House Bill 2110, sponsored by Springfield Rep. Bob Dixon, "prohibits state or local authorities from preventing the display of the founding documents of the United States or the State of Missouri in public buildings, without regard to whether the documents contain religious content."

It's unclear if certain documents weren't permitted to be displayed locally.

“The display of certain historical documents in public buildings has excited considerable controversy in parts of the nation,” said Rep. Dixon. “In Missouri, we want to assure state and public officials that the display of historical documents for the public to see is proper, even if the document may contain the occasional religious reference. As Missourians, we take pride in our historical heritage, and fear of litigation should never prompt self-censorship.”

Dixon's bill now heads to the Rules Committee before going to the full House.

No comments: