By Caitlin McGlade | The Arizona Republic
The Glendale City Council adopted a policy Tuesday, Sept. 10, that allows for prayer during meetings — a practice that has languished in a legal gray area nationwide for long enough that the United States Supreme Court is weighing in this session.
The council voted 4-3 to allow speakers to volunteer to make a two-minute prayer or invocation during meetings to “solemnize” council business, replacing the moment of silence that the council traditionally observed.
Mayor Jerry Weiers, along with councilmembers Norma Alvarez, Sam Chavira and Ian Hugh, voted in favor of the measure. Vice Mayor Yvonne Knaack, joined by councilmembers Gary Sherwood and Manny Martinez opposed it.
Weiers said public prayer from various faiths would illuminate Glendale’s diversity and perhaps give the city a spiritual boost.
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