Commissioners vote against implementing nondenominational invocation message before meetings

A motion to establish a nondenominational invocation message before each El Paso County Commissioners Court meeting failed Monday.

County Commissioner Carlos Leon proposed the idea. Leon said he felt it is important to have this message before meetings because the country is very divided.

Ultimately, the motion failed by a vote of 3-2, with El Paso County Judge Ruben Vogt and commissioners Andrew Haggerty and David Stout voting no.

“I’ve struggled with this decision. I too am religious,” Vogt said. “I wouldn’t want to force this to be a part of any individual’s daily routine.”

The invocation proposal stated:

” The message may be a prayer, a reflective moment of silence, or other solemnizing message of the speaker’s choice. The message may be delivered by any adult citizen of El Paso County. The El Paso County Commissioners Court will not exclude any citizen on the basis of religion, and the opportunity to deliver a message is open to citizens of any faith or belief.”

Currently, meetings start with the Pledge of Allegiance. County commissioner Vince Perez was in favor of having the invocation.

“This invocation policy was written in such a way that I think was very careful, it’s not in anyway discriminating or promoting any religion,” Perez said. “It’s an opportunity to hear from different perspectives, to hear from different faiths.”

Haggerty said he himself is religious and is heavily involved in his church. However, he said implementing an invocation message is not something the County should be concerned with.

“It is not the role of the government to tell me where, when and how to pray,” Haggerty said. “Our role is to do County government work. It is not for praying.”

There were six members of the public who spoke on this item. Five were against the invocation policy, one of them was for it.