SR: Idaho invites legal beatings

In today’s editorial, The Spokesman-Review comments:

Idaho politicians sure like to squander public dollars on lost legal causes. Then again, it’s not their money. The latest example is a bill adopted by the Legislature on Monday that permits the Bible in public schools as a reference guide. It’s the only religious text allowed. If challenged in court, it doesn’t have a prayer.

Attorney General Lawrence Wasden told legislators the Idaho Constitution forbids such a law. You don’t need a law degree to understand the meaning of this passage covering public schools: “No books, papers, tracts or documents of a political, sectarian or denominational character shall be used.” The House sponsor of the bill, Rep. Sage Dixon, R-Ponderay, waves that off, saying the “little Supreme Court in my head says this is OK.” The big Supreme Court in Boise will simply read the state’s founding document, which has stricter limits on religious texts than U.S. Constitution.

Question: I love the Bible, God’s Word. Not only do I try to read it daily, I study it. But the little constitutional voice in my head says that Sage Dixon’s bill is blatantly unconstitutional. I don’t want to see the Idaho Legislature waste more of the taxpayers’ money pursuing a legal defense of this legislation that the state can’t win. Thoughts?