Ryan tells Utah audience he backs prayer in school

PROVO — Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan says he supports prayer in public schools if approved by states.

The Wisconsin congressman addressed the issue during a brief stop Wednesday inside a Republican volunteer center in Provo, Utah. Ryan was visiting the state for a fundraiser. A volunteer asked whether he supported giving states the right to allow "prayer or pledge" in schools. Ryan said he did.

He says it’s a constitutional issue for states and a moral responsibility of parents. And he says Utah voters would have "a pretty good chance" of allowing prayer in schools.

GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign has not immediately clarified whether he agrees with Ryan’s position.