In 2007, the Illinois Senate passed The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act, which requires schools to set aside a "moment of silence" each day for quiet reflection. As the sponsor of that effort, I was pleased to see that the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld that legislation in a ruling announced last week. The court ruled that the law was constitutional because it does not specifically require prayer.

When we drafted the "moment of silence" bill, we were careful not to specifically require prayer because we were mindful that students in each school throughout the state hold different beliefs. We also wanted to recognize that there is a constitutional prohibition on school prayer. Prior to the bill’s passage, Illinois law stated that a teacher may observe a brief period of silence so long as all students assembled were allowed to participate. In passing the "moment of silence" bill, it was our intention to recognize the multitude of different perspectives – religious or otherwise – that make up Illinois.

We begin every session day in the Illinois Senate with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Each day, the prayer is different. Each day, we invite a different individual to the Senate to lead us in prayer in an effort to recognize the many different religious backgrounds of Illinois citizens. It has been my experience that beginning with a prayer reminds me that we all come from different backgrounds and that we each have a unique perspective to offer. I have also found that this brief moment helps me to concentrate as I begin my work.