Lawmakers: Post ‘In God We Trust’ in public schools

Every Florida public school would need to display “In God We Trust” in a “conspicuous place,” under a bill the Legislature will soon send to the governor’s desk.

The requirement, which had passed the House last month, had looked dead in the Senate. But then it was added to a separate, lengthy and controversial education bill (HB 7055) that both chambers approved Monday.

If Gov. Rick Scott signs the 207-page proposal, all public schools — and any other buildings used by local school boards — would need to display “In God We Trust,” the state motto.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Kimberly Daniels, D-Jacksonville, who runs a Christian ministry. “This motto is inscribed on the halls of this great capitol and inked on our currency, and it should be displayed so that our children will be exposed and educated on this great motto, which is a part of this country’s foundation,” she said when a House committee took up her bill (HB 839). “Something so great should not be hidden.”

“In God We Trust” has been part of Florida’s state seal since 1868 and on the state flag since 1900, but has been the state motto only since 2006, according to the Florida Department of State.

During House committee meetings, several speakers supported Daniels’ efforts.

“This motto has been part of our history, it’s been part of our nation,” said Chris Walker, a Lake County pastor, who testified in Tallahassee for the measure. “The principles that we stand on, and our forefathers created, was in God we trust.”

But Sue Woltanski, a Monroe County mother with the education advocacy group Common Ground, told lawmakers the bill was unnecessary. The state flag is already displayed in public schools, and it features the “In God We Trust” motto, she noted.

Lawmakers, she added, should not take up bills that “fail to address real issues in education and waste taxpayers’ dollars and time.”

When asked, Daniels said there would be a cost for school districts to display the motto. She did not have an estimate but doubted it would be “a significant cost.”