New Louisiana law requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.

The GOP-drafted legislation mandates that a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” be required in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. Although the bill did not receive final approval from Landry, the time for gubernatorial action — to sign or veto the bill — has lapsed.

Opponents question the law’s constitutionality, warning that lawsuits would likely follow. Proponents say the purpose of the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. In the law’s language, the Ten Commandments are described as “foundational documents of our state and national government.”

Civil liberties groups announced later on Wednesday that they planned to challenge the Louisiana law in court. In a joint statement, the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana and the Freedom from Religion Foundation said that "the law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional."

"The First Amendment promises that we all get to decide for ourselves what religious beliefs, if any, to hold and practice, without pressure from the government," the statement added. "Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools."

The displays, which will be paired with a four-paragraph “context statement” describing how the Ten Commandments “were a prominent part of American