Bills aim to buoy religious freedom
Democratic State Rep. Salman Bhojani, one of the state’s first Muslim lawmakers, earlier this month unveiled bipartisan legislation that he says will make it easier for Texans, and especially non-Christians, to exercise their faith.
Joined by state Rep. Jacey Jetton, a Republican from Richmond, Bhojani described three bills that will clarify that all faith leaders can officiate marriages, stop state-mandated testing on religious holidays and expand the list of optional state holidays.
“Religious freedom is one of the most important and fundamental rights guaranteed to us by our Constitution,” Bhojani said. “It’s more than just the right to worship; it’s the right to dignity and autonomy for every person.”
Jetton, who is Christian, said the bills are steps toward improving religious freedom in Texas. Jetton and Rep. Charles Cunningham, R-Humble, were the only Republicans present at the Feb. 7 news conference.
The optional holiday and marriage bills, spearheaded by state Reps. Joe Moody and James Talarico respectively, were attempted in the last legislative session and passed out of the Texas House, but they failed to gain traction in the more conservative Senate.
“A lot of these did pass through the House overwhelmingly with both parties involved, so I appreciate Rep. Bhojani for bringing us together today,” Jetton said. “I’m very interested in making sure this happens.”
Bhojani said he is hopeful that he’s accumulated more support since then.
“I’ve had great conversations with senators across the aisle,” he said, pointing out that Democratic Sen. José Menéndez was
present at the news conference. “I look forward to championing this and having a partner in the Senate because this is an important issue, and it’s bipartisan; that’s what I really love about it.”
Rabbi Kelly Levy, of Congregation Beth Israel, a Reform synagogue in Austin, spoke about how growing up in San Antonio, she remembers feeling left out at Christmas time and angry that she had to fight for an excused absence when tests fell over the Jewish High Holy Days.
“I now know what it’s like to explain repeatedly why my 6year-old missed school for the High Holy Days and why it is in fact an excused absence,” Levy said. “We cannot continue to allow our students of multifaith backgrounds to feel othered anymore in this state.”
House Bill 1883 would forbid the State Board of Education from giving tests on a religious holy day, and House Bill 1882 would add to the list of optional state holidays to include: All Saints Day, Diwali, Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, Passover, Vaisakhi and Vesak. Currently, only Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Good Friday are included.
State law already allows Christian ministers, Jewish rabbis and “a person who is an officer of a religious organization and who is authorized by the organization” to officiate a marriage ceremony.
But Alejandrina Guzman, Bhojani’s legislative director, said House Bill 1882 removes references to any one faith leader and instead broadens the language of the law to make it clear it applies to all faith leaders.
The way the law is written now, with some explicitly mentioned and others implied, has sometimes caused confusion and led some to assume they weren’t permitted, Guzman said.
State Rep. Suleman Lalani, DSugar Land, who joined Bhojani in making history this year as the first two Muslims to be sworn in to the Texas Legislature, was among those who showed their support for the bill package.
“I’m very proud of what Texas has done, but we have a long way to go,” Lalani said. “We’re here to show that when we stand united, we can do a lot of things. Together we can make Texas land of the free and home of all faiths.”