Following a recent preliminary court holding and substantial attention to the county’s practices, the Carroll County Commissioners have adopted a policy of issuing a nonsectarian prayer to open public meetings, as the matter remains pending before the courts.  From coverage in the Baltimore Sun (limited free views available):

The measure passed by a 3-2 vote amid legal pressure for the board to stop sectarian references in invocations. A federal judge in Baltimore last month issued an injunction against the practice, which is being challenged in court by some county residents who say the prayers disregard their beliefs.

The commissioners resolved Tuesday that prayers may still reference “God,” “Lord God,” “Creator” and “Lord of Lords,” among other monotheistic names. But they must be non-sectarian and led by board president David Roush, who voted in favor of the change.

Read the full Sun coverage online, including a ten-minute video of the Commissioners’ discussion.