Issue Of Prayer Before DuPage Co. Meetings May Get Vote: Report

WHEATON, IL -- For Dawn Desart, the issue of praying before the DuPage County Board meetings isn't personal, it's about "the appropriate and time and place for prayer," Desart wrote in her public blog. Desart, who identifies as a Christan, first brought up the issue of invocations before County Board meetings in December. After the issue came up at Tuesday's meeting, the DuPage Board is considering voting on prayers in meetings, Chicago Tribune reports.

Desart reportedly passed out a copy of the blog post to each board member at Tuesday's meeting.

In the March 4 blog post, Desart doubled down on the invocations that take place before DuPage County Board meetings. The board encourages diversity, but Desart says that the prayers are "primarily" Christian.

"I respect other religions of the world and within our community. I respect those community members who are not religious," Desart says.

Naperville Democrat Commissioner Sadia Covert said at the meeting that she considers the invocations a "platform for unity."

DuPage board members may vote on the issue of board meeting prayers at the March 26 meeting, Chicago Tribune reports.

The county board's meeting Tuesday was noteworthy for another reason beyond its movement on the issue of pre-meeting prayers. The "invocation" was led by an atheist for the first time. According to Chicago Tribune, Hemant Mehta eschewed the traditional invocation and led the board in a "moment of reflection."

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