Benefits for student religious groups discussed

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Intro:	Senators discussed benefits given to religious student associations on public education campuses.
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Wrap: The Senate Education committee heard testimony on bills that would prohibit public higher education institutions from denying religious student groups benefits available to other students clubs.

MU Law Professor Carl Esbeck says he supports the bill but says Missouri is falling behind other states.

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Description: "Missouri is hardly breaking new ground here. That seven other states have already passed similar legislation: Ohio, Tennessee, Idaho, Oklahoma, Arizona, Virginia, North Carolina. So, Missouri is seeing the need here but it's certainly not breaking new ground."

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Michael Lindquist.

Intro:	Student religious associations would be treated equally under new bills in the legislature.
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Wrap: Senators on the Education committee discussed bills that would restrict public higher education institutions from denying benefits to student religious organizations that are given to other organizations.

Republican Senator Dan Brown says these bills may take away too much freedom.

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Description: "America was founded on religious freedoms, but where do we cross the line that were aiding and abetting a theocracy?"

Republican Senator Kurt Schaefer says learning institutions cannot draw that line and that religious freedoms are at the core of the constitutional system of government.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Michael Lindquist.

Intro:	New bills would require public higher education institutions to not discriminate against student religious organizations.
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Wrap: The Senate Education committee discussed bills that would prohibit public higher education institutions from denying religious student organizations benefits that are available to other student groups.

Republican Senator Kurt Schaefer sponsors the bill and says poeple have the right to believe what they wish.

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Description: "Those religious beliefs are at the core foundation of our constitutional system of government and it is not the place of an institution of higher learning to tell people what they should or should not believe in the religious context or what religion they can practice."

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Michael Lindquist.