Louisiana will become the first state to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in all schools and colleges that receive public funding, if Gov. Jeff Landry signs a new bill into law.
Rep. Dodie Horton (R-Haughton) wrote HB71 to require the text of the Ten Commandments be printed on a poster no smaller than 11 inches by 14 inches. The text must be “the central focus” of the document.
Horton has said the commandments are the “basis of all laws in Louisiana. “Louisiana lawmakers gave the bill final approval Tuesday evening with a 79-16 vote in the state House of Representatives.
The Times-Picayune reported on X that only Democrats voted against its passage.
Other states, including Texas, South Carolina and Utah recently attempted similar legislation.
Those efforts began after Supreme Court rulings in cases like Kennedy v. Bremerton School District indicated a looser interpretation of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause. That clause prevents state-sponsored religion.
