Louisiana has recently passed a law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms, from kindergarten through university, for institutions receiving state funding.
Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, signed the legislation, House Bill 71, which specifies that the Commandments must be in a prominent, easily readable format as the central focus of the display.
Landry praised the law, calling it “one of (his) favorites” and linking it to respecting the rule of law, attributing the Commandments to Moses and God.
However, opponents argue that this requirement violates the US Constitution’s establishment clause, which prohibits laws favoring one religion.
Civil liberties groups such as the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have vowed to challenge the law in court, arguing that it violates the First Amendment and could coerce students into religious beliefs.
Supporters of the law reference a recent Supreme Court decision, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which they believe supports increased religious expression in public spaces.
Louisiana State Representative Dodie Horton, the bill’s author, dismissed concerns from Democratic opponents, stating that the Commandments have a legal history and her bill aims to instill a “moral code” in classrooms.
Source-CNN
