This week's "from the President's Desk is a guest piece from our friend Bill Dillon in Florida. Bill has been the driving force behind HB885 and SB 1776, the legislation that would give the National Covenant its due place in the Florida schools. Bill has been giving us at Declaration Foundation the news on the bills as they move through the legislature.

The following is his latest:

Special to the Declaration Foundation from Activist Bill Dillon

On the Florida Declaration Bills:

HB885 passed the House today on a resounding 100 to 12 vote! with an "IN GOD WE TRUST" amendment.

Today, SB1776 had a killer amendment stuck on it during the 2d reading but was withdrawn.

(Reminder. In Florida companion bills wend their way through the process in both houses. At the end they have to agree in order to be signed into law. This is where individual citizens who have a keen interest in the bill can help coordinate action between the two houses. The important thing here is not to lose your cool. There will be much behind the scenes wrangling especially if the two houses are in very serious conflict. This one big year for conflict in the Florida legislature.)

Senator Clary's legislative assistant told me the Senate will "take up" the House Declaration bill tomorrow when it is likely to pass. This bit of finesse is to save time. Time no longer exists. The current session ends Friday.

I do hope more of you get a chance to experience the thrills of legislation by initiating your state's Declaration Bill.

We pretty much copied Rep Rick Green's bill but Rick's bill was stripped of its Declaration recitation requirement in the legislative process.

The Florida bill retains this most important feature. I bet if Rick started the process after the hideous murders of 9 September, not only would the recitation requirement have been retained but it would have been put to music.

(Incidentally, the Declaration HAS been put to music and I'm trying to get the score. If any of you know where I can get it, please pass it to me, billdill@gnt.net)

PS If you are interested in getting a feel for the steps and revisions of the Florida Declaration Bills go to http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Welcome/index.cfm and type in "885" in the blank bill number block and click on "GO".

Note the various steps in the House. While on that page, click on (Similar CS/S1776) and the Senate page will appear.

Should you wish to examine the various permutations of the bills and their amendments, go to each of those topics listed further down the page. I suggest you bring up whatever text you wish in the "Web" version. It's faster.