By AP
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee House has voted overwhelmingly for a bill that specifies recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools "is not a state endorsement of religion".
Sponsor Mark Maddox of Dresden said he believes the legislation is necessary because of a California case involving an atheist and his daughter.
Michael Newdow sought to have "under God" removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. A federal appeals court ruled that public schools violated the separation of church and state by having students mention God, but the Supreme Court later threw out the ruling