Alabama Senate OKs bill expanding “release time” for religious education

Alabama Senate OKs bill expanding “release time” for religious education

The updated "release time" policies would allow off-campus religious instruction with parental consent.

Alabama Senate approves bill requiring school boards to adopt religious instruction policies

Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville (left) speaks with Sen. Lance Bell, R-Pell City, on the floor of the Alabama Senate on April 8, 2025 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector)The Alabama Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would require local school boards to develop policies allowing students to leave campus during school hours for religious instruction. SB 278, sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnutt, R-Trussville…

How Alabama school board and superintendent groups misled lawmakers on religious education bill - Alabama Policy Institute

A U.S. Supreme Court-approved religious released time education bill still faces an uphill battle in the Alabama State Senate despite getting approved in committee. Last week, the Senate’s Education Policy Committee gave a favorable report with an 8-1 vote to the legislation with bipartisan support. This bill provides local control and flexibility by requiring local school boards to adopt their own local policy allowing for off-campus religious …

Usually blocked by the Assembly and reduced to the rank of opponent, the Senate right sees its work take a new echo, and allow it to implement parts of the Republicans' program