By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A three-member majority of county commissioners court has blocked a move to add prayer to the court’s twice-monthly meetings.
Members of Val Verde County Commissioners Court discussed the measure during their most recent meeting on Feb. 14.
County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton asked for an item on the agenda regarding “discussion and possible action on adding prayer to commissioners court.”
After County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. announced the item, Nettleton told the court, “I believe that we need to get a little closer back to God in our commissioners court. I think we’ve taken God out of our schools, out of government and out of everything, and I don’t agree with it anymore, so I will make a motion that we add prayer to our commissioners court meetings.”
Owens asked Nettleton to make a motion to table the vote on the item until after the court met in executive session later in the meeting.
Following the closed door session, the court reconvened in open session, and Owens announced no action had been taken while the court met out of public view.
Owens announced resumption of discussion or action on the prayer issue, and Nettleton said, “I will make a motion to add prayer to commissioners court and put a rotation for each commissioner to bring somebody to pray or do it themselves or choose not to pray at that meeting.”
Owens called for a second to the motion and when none of the other three commissioners gave one, Owens said he would give the second.
Owens called for the vote without further discussion. He and Nettleton voted in favor of the motion, and County Commissioner Pct. 1 Martin Wardlaw, County Commissioner Pct. 2 Juan Carlos Vazquez and County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores voted against the motion.
“Can I make a motion on that, judge?” Wardlaw asked immediately after the vote.
Owens asked Wardlaw to make his comment.
“I’d like to make that a silent prayer and ask that be changed to silent prayer,” Wardlaw said.
“Commissioner Nettleton, do you accept that or will you stay with your (original) motion?” Owens asked.
“I’ll stay with my motion,” Nettleton said.
Owens then asked the court to vote again, and that vote was the same as it had been the first time.
“Motion fails, two to three,” Owens announced.
No further discussion or action of the prayer issued was taken up by the court.
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