Hudson Statement on Court Ruling in Rowan Prayer Case

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) released the following statement after the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Rowan County in Lund v. Rowan County:

"As a defender of our constitutional rights, I am pleased with today's decision to protect our first amendment right to prayer. I will continue to do all that I can to protect religious liberty and stand up for our right to pray."

Last August, Rep. Hudson led seventeen bipartisan Members of Congress to file an amicus brief before the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Lund v. Rowan County defending the tradition of prayer before a legislative session. Like many legislative bodies in the United States, the Board of Commissioners in Rowan County, N.C., opened its meetings with an invocation for years. In 2013, however, three plaintiffs sued in federal district court to enjoin the board's prayer practice.

Although the Supreme Court held just last year, in Town of Greece v. Galloway, that a town does not create an impermissible establishment of religion by opening its board meetings with faith-specific prayer, the district court struck down Rowan County's prayer practice because the commissioners themselves delivered the prayers. Rowan County appealed to the Fourth Circuit. Our country enjoys an extensive tradition of elected officials making public, religious statements that invite--but do not coerce--private citizens to participate. As the amicus brief shows, the district court's decision is un-moored from that historical tradition, and should be reversed.

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