Christian nationalists have brought the worst of their chaplain bills to Maine.
On March 26, the Joint Education and Cultural Affairs Committee will hear LD 927, a bill that would force religious chaplains onto public school students. This blatantly unconstitutional bill knows that it’s setting chaplains up to preach to students and seeks to undermine students’ legal protections. We need you to fight back against this bill before students’ secular schools are turned into a religious recruitment space!
LD 927 would require schools to install a chaplain for students, requiring these chaplains to be certified by a recognized faith organization. Even worse, these chaplains are immune from civil liability for acts and statements made as chaplains. This would allow religious representatives to attempt to force their religion onto minority religious students or secular students instead of providing an actual supportive presence in their lives. Students need to feel safe when seeking support, and that will not happen when seeking guidance from a chaplain. Selecting, paying or promoting a school-sponsored religious chaplain whose job is to provide religious guidance is unconstitutional. Please voice your concern with this bill today!
The hearing for this bill will be on March 26, so please ensure that the committee hears about this as much as possible before the hearing! We have included talking points through the “Take Action” button that you can edit to your liking. For best results, please be succinct and polite. For extra impact, you will be directed to a phone script to call legislators after you email them. Please take the extra minute to call them if you can!
(Note: You must live in Maine to take part in this action alert.)