Welcome to

Governor Rick Scott has eleven days (until March 23) to decide if he agrees with lawmakers who want children as young as five to be able to give inspiration messages in school. The plan is optional for school districts, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, Rick Scott is already getting pressure to both sign and veto the legislation.

At this Baptist church, preschoolers start each day with a prayer. So do the dozens of children at this Jewish Temple across town. And at this high school, the Fellowship of Christian athletes prays each time it meets.

Three out of four students who attend this Jewish preschool are non-Jewish, but the Rabbi says their parents knew what they were in for when they signed up.

But legislation on the Governor’s desk would allow school boards across Florida to set policies for “inspiration messages” to be given by children as young as five. Rabbi Jack Romberg is urging the governor to veto the bill.

“The so-called inspirational messages are only going to be written by those who are trying to convert people who don’t believe their way, to believe the way they want them to. Jewish children have been facing this kind of thing all the time,” Rabbi Romberg said.

The pastor at this Baptist church points out that prayer was in schools when he was growing up.

“It was not a problem in the communities where I have ever lived, but I understand that there is a lot of diversity and we need to be sensitive,” Pastor Dan Sowell, of East Hill Baptist Church, said.

High School Senior Chelsea Williams has been to meetings where there has been prayer.

“Nobody wants to be made uncomfortable in school,” Williams said. “I feel like as long as its a personal thing for them, or if they want to have group prayer, that’s fine.”

The legislation sets no age limit, nor does it define at which school events messages could be given.

If the Governor does decide to sign the bill into law, one thing is certain: lawsuits will soon follow.