New legislation brings cheers and critics in equal measure.
Under a new bill that became state law on Wednesday, June 19, classrooms in Louisiana will be required to display a copy of the Ten Commandments. With legal challenges certain to follow, Governor Jeff Landry noted that he “can’t wait to be sued.” After the Supreme Court ruled more than 40 years ago that such displays violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, how do Pelican State lawmakers think this latest effort will differ in outcome?
A Brief History
In 1980, a five-to-four Supreme Court decision in Stone v. Graham ruled that by requiring the commandments to be displayed in schools, Kentucky violated the separation of church and state established by the First Amendment. More specifically, the court held that the statute failed the Lemon Test,…
