Ill. House wants school reflection voluntary again

March 19, 2009 (CHICAGO) On Thursday, the House voted in favor of changing a law that a federal judge ruled unconstitutional in January. The measure allows school children to start each day with a moment of silent reflection if their teacher chooses.

The legislature changed the law in 2007 to require teachers to ask students to pause silently.

Atheist Rob Sherman and his teenaged daughter filed a lawsuit and in January, a judge ruled that required silence was a veiled attempt at requiring prayer.

The new legislation now moves to the Senate.