Missouri Republican lawmaker wants to require schools to display the Ten Commandments
A Missouri Republican lawmaker wants every public and charter school classroom in the state to display the Ten Commandments, sparking concern from at least one Kansas City area school district.
A bill filed this month by Rep. Hardy Billington, a Poplar Bluff Republican, would require public school districts and charter schools to display copies of the Ten Commandments, a set of ethical directions from the Old Testament, in every building and classroom.
The legislation is part of a broader push to inject religious teachings into schools and comes as a growing number of Republicans nationally have openly embraced arguments that American politics and culture are rooted in the Christian faith.
Billington’s bill also follows similar legislation in other GOP-led states, such as Louisiana, which recently passed a law to require the Ten Commandments in schools. A federal judge last month blocked the Louisiana law on constitutional grounds.
“The Ten Commandments is basically throughout our country, right?” said Billington, who serves as majority whip in the House. “I think that would be a good thing for kids to see, not that they got to promote it, or do anything about it, but it’s good to be there, right? To, you know, walk by and see it in the hallway.”
“If we all obeyed the Ten Commandments, wouldn’t our country be a lot better off? Be a lot safer, wouldn’t it?” he added.
Billington’s legislation would allow, but not require, school boards to pay for displays of the Ten Commandments. It would also allow the districts to accept donated copies.
School boards and charter school governing boards would have the power to determine “the nature of the display.” However, Billington’s legislation would set some requirements.
Each classroom display would have to be a poster or framed document at least 11 inches by 14 inches large. The text of the Ten Commandments would also have to be the central focus of the display and printed in a “large, easily readable font.”
The displays would be required to include the full text of the Ten Commandments, which begins with the phrase “I AM the LORD thy God” followed by the commandments. The displays would include phrases such as: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy,” “Thou shalt not kill,” and “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”
Kelly Wachel, a spokesperson for the Park Hill School District in Kansas City, said the legislation raised a number of questions, including whether the bill supports the ability for school boards to make decisions about what’s best for students of all backgrounds, religions and beliefs.
“How does this legislation impact the enshrined rights in our U.S. and state constitution around keeping church and state separate?” Wachel said in an email.
In addition to those concerns, Wachel said her district wants lawmakers to focus on crafting legislation that addresses several issues that currently affect schools such as: increased funding, access to resources and opportunities for students, money to support safety measures to protect students and staff, and teacher development.
Billington filed the legislation ahead of the upcoming legislative session, which begins next month. While it’s still unclear how much attention the bill will receive throughout the year — particularly among members of Republican leadership — at least two Republican lawmakers expressed general support.
“I would be supportive of that legislation,” said Rep. Brian Seitz, a Branson Republican. “We have not discussed it as a caucus yet, but I know that other states recently have decided to do that.”
Seitz added that he felt the bill was “wholly appropriate. There’s nothing offensive in the Ten Commandments.”
‘Violation of the First Amendment.’
But Billington’s legislation would also certainly face legal challenges if lawmakers pass it this upcoming session, just as the law in Louisiana has.
Tom Bastian, a spokesperson for the ACLU of Missouri, ripped the legislation as unconstitutional in a statement. He pointed to a 1980 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found a similar Kentucky law violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
“Public schools are meant to provide students with equal access to education, free from discrimination based on religion, race, and ethnicity, or the official endorsement of any religion,” Bastian said. “The use of political power to force students to adopt the preferred religious beliefs of a state representative is the proselytization of our children and a violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.”
Billington, however, appeared to signal that he felt his bill would hold up in court. He pointed to the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, which has grown more conservative in recent years.
“Everybody disagrees with some point, but I think it’s something the Supreme Court would agree with now,” he said. “We got a very — a lot more conservative Supreme Court than we’ve had in the past.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2024 at 6:25 AM.
