(TruthAndLiberty.com) – The Louisiana Legislature is awaiting the signature of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on a bill that would mandate that all public schools have the Ten Commandments on display.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, and was passed on Tuesday night in a 79-16 through the House. The Senate which is also under GOP control passed the bill on May 16 in a 30-7 vote.
As per the legislation, the Ten Commandments would be required to be displayed on a poster that is no smaller than 11 by 14 inches.
Horton, who had been asked about teachers who might not subscribe to these beliefs, argued that he was not concerned with atheists or Muslims and that his only concern was ensuring that the children in the state knew the laws of God.
Those against the bill have pointed out that this bill is in violation of the First Amendment, as it is prohibited by the government to establish a religion.
Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, has opposed the bill despite himself being a practicing Catholic. As he argued they did not need to learn the Ten Commandments in school and that this was something that they learned in Sunday school. He added that anyone who wanted their children to know the Ten Commandments just needed to take their children to school.
ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State were among the civil rights organizations who have opposed the law. In 1980 the Supreme Court ruled that having the Ten Commandments displayed in the classroom is unconstitutional.
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