Today, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the ACLU lawsuit regarding praying in Jesus name in the Indiana House of Representatives. The District Court ruling was a landmark decision marking the first time a federal court had attempted to dictate the specific content of prayer in a state or federal legislative body.
Representative Jackie Walorski said, "This is a great day of victory in the State of Indiana and for the United States as well, that the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of uncensored prayers at the Indiana Statehouse. I am thankful to the thousands of people in our State that have fervently prayed for this ruling to be overturned and today, we are thankful that we can again openly pray in Jesus' name in our State. In our culture today, it is critical to protect individual freedom and freedom of expression, and this is a major victory!" For nearly 190 years, it has been the tradition of the Indiana House to allow clerics from many faiths to offer prayer before the House begins its business for the day. This tradition is also followed by Congress for over 200 years. This freedom, for individuals to offer prayers freely and in accordance with their own religious beliefs has been protected for generations as a free expression of speech and freedom of religious expression. The District Court that originally banned prayer ignored this tradition and sought to require the House Speaker to censor prayers. The Court of Appeals returned the case to the District Court with instructions to dismiss for want for jurisdiction.
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