The state of Florida requires people convicted of domestic violence to participate in batterers’ intervention programs. The programs have been in place for 30 years, but lawmakers are now looking into a change that would allow those programs to include more faith-based components.
Miami Republican Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez is sponsoring the bill. She says it won’t violate the First Amendment’s religious freedom principles.
“It addresses the root causes of violence through a holistic approach," she says. "It leverages the success of faith-based rehabilitation models in other areas. It helps to maintain core evidence-based treatment components. And it encourages community and clergy involvement in rehabilitation.”
But St. Petersburg Democratic Senator Darryl Rouson has questions about that. He points to a bill that became law last year, giving school districts the option of authorizing chaplains to provide services to students. A group called the Satanic Temple said they planned to have people who were ordained in their beliefs volunteer. Here’s Rouson:
“With the chaplains’ bill last year, we had issues with those who are agnostics…who are atheists…wanting to get into the schools," he said. "How do you define faith in the context of this bill?
According to the bill analysis, right now, the programs are specifically prohibited from using faith-based ideology. Rodriguez is proposing that the rule be changed to include religious material.
During a recent committee hearing, Miramar Democratic Senator Barbara Sharief asked Rodriguez if lawmakers should specify language in the bill saying the rule would apply to all faiths.
“SHARIEF: So, for example, if a person was Muslim or Jewish or if they were Catholic and non-denominational -- do they cater to all religious types?
"RODRIGUEZ: This would be open to all faiths. It’s not limited to one particular faith.
"SHARIEF: That’s good.”
Rodriguez says faith can be another pathway for people to heal.
“And I just want to remind everyone that these batterer intervention programs -- they’re state certified but they’re not state funded," she said. "So, it’s just an alternate option for people to have in the event that they feel this is a pathway that will help them in their recovery process.”
Sanford Republican Senator Jason Brodeur says the faith-based model is applicable to other social services.
“We know that there are faith-based organizations that do wonderful jobs with our social services that actually supplement or supplant what government would be able to provide," he said. "And so, whether I agree with the faith or not, I think it's a very important component to recovery, to healing, to families…”
Rouson was the only senator to vote against the bill. He told Rodriguez he did so knowing he’d be able to take it up with her again in another committee of reference.
