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What's the Ten Commandments bill?
The Ten Commandments Bill, formally known as House Bill 313, would require Georgia public schools to display the Ten Commandments in three key locations, alongside other historical American documents. A similar law in Louisiana was ruled unconstitutional in 2024, but the case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, potentially impacting Georgia's bill.
ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers are considering House Bill 313 (HB 313), which would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in three prominent locations: the main entrance of the school, the main entrance of the library, and the main entrance of the cafeteria.
What we know:
The bill, introduced by Rep. Emory Dunahoo (R-Gillsville), argues that the Ten Commandments is a foundational document of state and national government. It would be added to a list of historical American documents that schools are encouraged to post, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States Flag, the Pledge of Allegiance to the Georgia Flag, the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation and others.
Under HB 313, the required displays must meet specific size and durability standards, either as framed posters or durable prints, and include a separate context statement about the historical role of the Ten Commandments in American education.
What are the Ten Commandments?
The Ten Commandments are a set of biblical principles that play a significant role in Judaism and Christianity. They are traditionally believed to have been given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai and are recorded in the Old Testament (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5). The commandments serve as moral and ethical guidelines, addressing worship, behavior, and relationships with others.
The Ten Commandments
I AM the LORD thy God.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
(Photo by Michael Smith/Getty Images)
Context statement
"The history of the Ten Commandments in American public education. The Ten Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries. Around the year 1688, ‘The New England Primer’ became the first published American textbook and was the equivalent of a first grade reader. ‘The New England Primer’ was used in public schools throughout the United States for more than 150 years to teach Americans to read and contained more than 40 questions about the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments were also included in public school textbooks published by educator William McGuffey, a noted university president and professor. A version of his famous McGuffey Readers was written in the early 1800s and became one of the most popular textbooks in the history of American education, selling more than 100 million copies. Copies of the McGuffey Readers are still available today. The Ten Commandments also appeared in a textbook published by Noah Webster which was widely used in American public schools along with America’s first comprehensive dictionary that Webster also published. His textbook, ‘The American Spelling Book,’ contained the Ten Commandments and sold more than 100 million copies for use by public school children all across the nation and was still available for use in American public schools in the year 1975."
The backstory:
The debate over posting the Ten Commandments in public schools is not new. In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar Kentucky law in the case of Stone v. Graham, ruling that mandatory displays of the Ten Commandments in classrooms were unconstitutional, according to Educational Week.
The Court found that the law had no secular purpose and violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government endorsement of religion. The justices concluded that the Ten Commandments are inherently religious and that posting them in schools would encourage students to "read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey" them, making the law a clear promotion of religious doctrine.
Despite this precedent, Louisiana passed a nearly identical law in 2024, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school and college classroom. A federal judge quickly ruled it unconstitutional, but the case is now headed toward the U.S. Supreme Court, where attorneys general from 18 states have filed briefs in support of Louisiana’s law.
Additionally, lawmakers in Texas and Montana have also attempted to have similar laws passed.
What is the argument against the law?
The other side:
Opponents of displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools argue that it violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or promoting or inhibiting religious beliefs.
"Republicans pushing to add the 10 Commandments to public school classrooms clearly need a civics refresher on the separation of church and state," said Democratic Party of Georgia spokesman Dave Hoffman. "This bill is unconstitutional, and the culture war fight they’re provoking won’t do anything to improve public education across Georgia."
Critics also contend that posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms could alienate students of different faiths or those who do not follow Christianity, creating a potentially exclusionary environment.
What's next:
If Georgia lawmakers approve HB 313, legal challenges are likely given the precedent set in Louisiana. The outcome of the ongoing Louisiana case at the Supreme Court could influence the bill’s future in Georgia.
If it passes and is not challenged, the new law would require all elementary schools and secondary schools across Georgia to display the Ten Commandments beginning July 1, 2025.
For now, the debate continues over whether the Ten Commandments should be recognized as a historical document or a religious display—and whether requiring it in schools is constitutional.