It was our governor pandering, back when he thought he might be a viable presidential candidate. He's the least genuinely religious governor we've had probably ever, so he does double or triple the pandering to try to hide it.

The US does have to deal with drouthy conditions somewhere pretty regularly. Seems to depend on which wriggles the jet stream takes in a given year. Drought years in England tend to look like average-rainfall years to us. So this sort of thing is popular when things get bad enough you might as well pray for it.

I remember thinking, busing through Scotland, "Boy, you just can't die of thirst in this place. Not without breaking both legs or your back."

It may be popular to pray for rain but not to have a whole state government sponsor a *christian* religious event for the prayer. That's the what whole the government should not favor a religion clause is in the US Constitution to prevent.

And to this day most people, including myself could give a shit about the issue of "gay marriage"..... after all this banter it remains a "States Rights" issue. Nothing short of a Constitutional Amendment will change that it that is not going to happen. I am among those who could care less. Let the States deal with the issue.... People can move to where they feel it suits their lifestyles.

"Basic Civil Rights" is a made up bullshit thing.... it has nothing to do with the US Constitution...

Marriage is NOT an issue discussed under the 14th Amendment. Fail. Reaching. If it was that easy it would have been settled in the 1800's.