Gov. Perry Signs the ‘Merry Christmas’ Bill into Law
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jun 14, 2013, Comments Off
~ Bill Joint Authored by Raymond ~
AUSTIN, TX – Governor Rick Perry signed the “Merry Christmas” Bill joint authored by Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, Chairman of the House Committee on Human Services, into law. The bill gives public school districts the freedom to recognize traditional winter celebrations like Christmas and allows students and district staff to offer traditional greetings regarding the celebrations, including: “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukkah”, and “happy holidays.”
“This bill protects the freedom of schools in Laredo and all of Texas to recognize Merry Christmas without fear of a lawsuit,” Rep. Raymond said. “Our hard-working teachers and school leaders have enough on their plate without having to worry about their displays of Christmas cheer landing them in court.”
Rep. Raymond joined Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) for a bipartisan effort to preserve traditions and recognize their contributions to American cultural life.
Rep. Raymond is the Chairman of the crucial Human Services Committee and sits on The Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence and The Rules and Resolutions Committee. Additionally, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, appointed Rep. Raymond to the Special Legislative Session Select Committee on Redistricting. The Committee will oversee legislation pertaining to districts maps used to elect members of the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate and United States House of Representatives.