Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill into law Wednesday making Louisiana the first state to require public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. Schools will also be authorized, but not required, to display the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance.
In creating the bill, HB 71, the Louisiana House relied heavily on the 2019 US Supreme Court case, American Legion v. American Humanists Association, and the 2005 case Van Orden v. Perry. The court in Van Orden held that the Establishment Clause under the First Amendment did not prohibit all forms of government legislation or action that had a religious intent or context. The American Legion case reapplied the test conducted in Van Orden, finding that a memorial cross did not violate the Establishment Clause. The House claimed to emphasize the intent of these cases by continuing “the rich tradition and ensure that the students in our public schools may understand and appreciate the foundational documents of our state and national government.”
On May 28th, the House passed the bill with 79 yeas and only 16 nays, with 10 absent. On Wednesday morning, the bill was signed into law during a press conference on education. Governor Landry took to X, formerly Twitter, to advertise, saying in part, “Today, we are fulfilling our campaign promise to bring reform to our education system and common sense back to our classrooms.”
Many are questioning the constitutionality of the law, warning of various legal battles that may arise. The Freedom From Religion Foundatation (FFRF) reposted an article on their X page where the Governor was quoted saying, “I can’t wait to be sued” and responded, “He won’t have to wait long.” Although other states including Texas and Oklahoma, have attempted to pass similar laws, the potential legal battles have left them with little success.
As it stands, the posters meant to be displayed will be provided through donations. No state funds will go towards the implementation of this law.
Update: Since the publication of this post, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced that it, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and FFRF will be suing Louisiana over the newly passed law.
