Holden calls Pledge of Allegiance ruling wrong

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden said Thursday that an appeals court ruling prohibiting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools will hold little weight in his decision whether to sign legislation requiring the pledge in Missouri schools.

"I will look at the court decision but we have not made a decision on the bill," Holden said in an interview. "I think the court's made the wrong decision and I think it will be overturned."

Asked if it would affect his decision to sign the bill, Holden said: "No."

Missouri lawmakers passed a bill during the recently completed legislative session that would require the pledge at least once a week in Missouri schools. But the measure would not force children to say it.

In its decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the phrase "one nation under God" in the pledge amounts to a government endorsement of religion in violation of the separation of church and state. On Thursday, Circuit Judge Alfred T. Goodwin stayed the ruling he wrote until other members of the court decide whether it should be reversed.

The court covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state. Those are the only states directly affected by the ruling. Missouri is covered by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

The Missouri bill requires schools to ensure that the pledge is recited at least once a week in at least one class in which a child is enrolled, but does not specify who must speak the words.

Matt LeMieux, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, said the "bill appears to make the appropriate exception for people who don't want to partake for religious reasons, for example, so we didn't protest much at all during the last legislative session."

The bill also includes a provision stating that schools may encourage the singing of all eight verses of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the recitation of the Declaration of Independence and the wearing of red, white and blue clothing.