Blog from the Capital

The Star-Telegram reports that, a few weeks into the new school year, teachers, students, parents and school officials have not noticed a change in the wake of Texas's controversial new Religious Viewpoint Anti-Discrimination Act.

The new law is designed to provide a public forum for students who wish to speak, and protects religious speech as well as secular viewpoints. Lawyers drafted policies for the boards to adopt and speculated when the first legal challenge would come.

But a month into the school year, there has been no reaction from students or parents reported at any local school district, officials said.

"They've posted it and done what they needed to do to get the word out there, but nobody's taken advantage of it," said Lesley Weaver, spokeswoman for the Northwest school district.

I can't say that I'm surprised that the bill has been a non-event thus far. For one, as I've written before, it doesn't truly settle church-state questions, despite its intent. The Constitution and Supreme Court precedent remain. Nothing they disallow is suddenly allowed under this bill. In fact, the law largely is a copy-and-paste of the existing Department of Education guidelines for religion in public schools. But, also, doesn't this lack of reaction undermine proponents' argument that scores of students in every school were being denied the right to religious expression - a wrong this law would make right?

[UPDATE: Title changed to be a bit more accurate.]