Thursday, August 20, Illinois Governor Rauner signed the┬áSilent Reflection and Student Prayer Act. This is another example of the Illinois legislature┬ápassing unnecessary laws claiming to protect religious rights that are already protected by the Constitution. This new law does not add any additional protections that students wishing to pray in school did not have before. The law does┬áhowever┬álack a mechanism that would ensure students are not coerced or that school employees are not endorsing these prayers. Furthermore, while the law applies to students of all religions, the language of the law specifically names two forms┬áof group prayer,┬áBIBLE (Basic Instruction Before Earth) clubs and “meet at the flagpole for prayer” days, both well-known to be predominately Christian.