Augusta Has A Prayer To Any Legal Challenge

The Augusta Law Department moves quickly to response to challenges to the long standing practice of starting Commission meetings with a prayer. City lawyers say they do not violate the separation of church and state. Channel 6's George Eskola has the story.

By: George Eskola | WJBF News Channel 6
Published: July 21, 2010

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Augusta,GA --

The city of Augusta counter punches in the name of prayer.

The Augusta Law Department has issued a legal opinion saying the city's practice of a pre-meeting prayer does not violate any federal law.

As we exclusively told you yesterday, the Freedom from Religion Foundation has written the Mayor and commissioners urging the city stop the invocations at the start of meetings.

“There was a Cobb County case in 2008, that was won by Cobb County a similar type challenge so I believe we've got a very firm legal leg to stand on that we can continue to do this the same way we've always done it,” says Mayor Deke Copenhaver.

Freedom from Religion Foundation lawyers say they haven't heard from the city, and could not comment on any possible future action.