December 26, 2018

Hot topic - Prayer at Public Meetings

Legislative Prayer in the Spotlight

Many cities in Kentucky open their public meetings with a short prayer or invocation.  This practice was upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court decades ago, but recently legislative prayer policies have taken center stage in a flurry of court cases across the nation.  Both the U.S. Supreme Court and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals will soon be revisiting the issue and hopefully offering updated legal guidance for cities in Kentucky.  Stay tuned for updates once these cases are decided, and look for an article discussing legislative prayer in the upcoming issue of Kentucky City Magazine. 

You can also link to a sample invocation policy here.

Please be sure to review the policy with your city attorney to ensure it meets the needs of your city.  For more information, please contact the KLC Member Legal Services Department.