Kennewick councilman calls for prayer at beginning of meetings

Kennewick city Councilman John Trumbo introduced a proposal Tuesday to institute prayer at the beginning of city council meetings.

Conducting a prayer would be consistent with the concepts of the nation's founding fathers, he said. A recent court ruling determined that prayer at city meetings in a small town in New York state is permissible, he said.

"Prayer helps create the proper attitude and sense of seriousness," Trumbo said.

The proposal calls for the prayer to be no more than 90 seconds long, be given by a volunteer, that others present at the meeting be respectful during the prayer, and that the prayer specifically reference the deity mentioned in documents written by the founding fathers.

The proposal will be handed over to the city's budget and administration committee for review.

This story was originally published September 3, 2014 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Kennewick councilman calls for prayer at beginning of meetings."