23 February Update: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 at 3:30 PM history was made in the Oregon Senate. The full Senate voted 21-8 to repeal the 87-year-old ban on religious clothing for public school teachers.
Passionate speeches were inspiring. One Senator summed it by saying this legislative body had made history today that will live on as a legacy for Oregon.
The House of Representatives had voted 51-8 just a few days ago to repeal (see story below.) The law goes to the Governor next who is expected to sign it into law.
With the February special session nearing an end, Oregon legislators passed a bill Tuesday that would strike down a rare, 87-year-old law barring teachers from wearing religious clothing in classrooms.
The Senate voted 21-9 to approve the measure, sending it to Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The governor didn't say whether he would sign it.
"He will review the bill when it reaches his desk," spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor said.
The measure would overturn a law dating to the 1920s when the Ku Klux Klan dominated the Legislature. Only two other states — Pennsylvania and Nebraska — have laws restricting religious clothing in classrooms.
The bill cut across the Legislature's liberal-conservative, rural-urban divides.
Some lawmakers said they struggled with how to vote on the measure because it posed a constitutional clash between the religious freedom of teachers and the right of students in public schools to be free of proselytizing.
Proponents said it was a matter of consistency in the application of religious freedom: Should the right to wear a Christian cross or a Star of David extend to those who wear head scarves for religious purposes?
"If a freedom is allowed for one, should that same freedom be allowed for all?" said Republican Sen. Jason Atkinson of Central Point.
Opponents such as Sen. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Beaverton, said she wasn't convinced that schools could remain neutral with respect to religion.
"I'm still struggling to figure out how that can happen, because dress is speech," she said. "Religious dress is a religious statement, and a teacher making a religious statement, a statement from one religion, every day, one religion, to young children ... does that maintain religious neutrality?"
After 25 long years since the Sikh teacher was dismissed and a year since the newest battle was began by local supporters, SALDEF and the Sikh Coalition and spearheaded by a young Muslim woman who worked tirelessly every day – Oregon has won back it's seat of honor for innovation.
Diversity and tolerance is alive and well in Oregon.
Since 1923 a KKK sponsored law prohibiting religious clothing worn by school teachers has been part of Oregon. In the mid 1980's a Sikh was terminated and discredited for wearing a turban.
In 2008 the law was upheld when the new workplace law was enacted in Oregon with an exclusion for schools.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Hunt, a leader in the Baptist Church, gave a passionate speach to vote repeal of the law. He was followed by Representative from both sides of the aisle and multiple faiths advocating repeal. Conservatives said it was time. Liberals said it was long overdue.
One representative told the story of hearing the testimony of a desperate status quo supporter talking about "witches" and the "church of nudity" taking over our kids' minds. Only one representative against repeal stood and tried to use the same tired tactic used again and again – that the law needed further study, even after almost 90 years. Hunt said this was an old tactic and had lost any validity.
The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill, passing it with a 51-8 vote. The bill will now be considered by the Oregon State Senate.
There were groups representing state government, business, and multiple faith and interfaith groups backing the repeal. Many showed for the vote Wednesday, and the Muslim community has come out in a huge way. It became not only a religious issue, but a woman's issue as well.
Through the tireless work of Saba Ahmed, a Muslim attorney, the bill was passed. We have to give thanks to Saba for her hours, days and weeks of personally speaking to each and every Representative. It was a heartfelt day full of affirmation of consciousness. At the end of the day after all the work, it was the House of Representatives themselves who defined what needed to happen and why.
For the first time in 30 years it feels as though Sikhs are finally welcome in this State.
Now we need to work toward, hope and pray that the Senate follows the lead of the House and votes overwhelming for citizens rights in Oregon.
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation's oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, commended the Oregon House of Representatives for passing Oregon House Bill 3686 yesterday, which if ratified by the senate, will allow public school teachers to wear religious dress, including the Sikh dastaar (turban), the Muslim hijab, and the Jewish yarmulke.
"We commend the members of the Oregon House, and specifically Speaker Hunt for this vote and for sending the message that Oregon respects and embraces individuals of all faiths," said SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. "By passing this bill the legislators have taken the first step in doing away with an archaic law that was initially enacted with the support of the Ku Klux Klan. We look forward to the Oregon State Senate taking up this issue and passing it with similar overwhelming support."
SALDEF thanks Oregon House Speaker Dave Hunt and his staff including Geoff Sugerman for their continued support of our campaign. We also recognize Saba Ahmed, Kevin Finney of the Oregon Ecumenical Ministries, Gregory Hamilton of the Northwest Religious Liberty Association, the Oregon Family Council, Willamette University Professor Steven Green, and all the other coalition partners who made today's efforts possible, as well as SALDEF local advocates Sat Hanuman Singh Khalsa, Navneet Kaur and Ravitej Singh Khalsa for their efforts in mobilizing the local community. Additionally, we would like to thank our colleagues at both the Sikh Coalition and UNITED SIKHS for the efforts and partnership in this campaign.
"Yesterday's vote is a great victory for all residents of Oregon and the Nation," said Oregon resident and local leader Ravitej Singh Khalsa. "I was part of the original effort in the mid-80s to get this law repealed, and it was truly amazing to see such a broad coalition of groups working to the same end this time around. It is most satisfying to finally feel welcome in Oregon, and I would like to thanks SALDEF for the leadership and efforts in taking up this cause."
