The Louisiana state capitol in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on April 4, 2023. CNN — Schools in Louisiana could soon be required by law to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The state House of Representatives gave final passage to House Bill 71 on Tuesday in a 79-16 vote , sending it to Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk. Only Democrats voted against the legislation. If the governor signs it into law, every Louisiana classroom — from kindergarten through university level — at schools that receive state funding would be required to display “on a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches. The text of the Ten Commandments shall be the central focus of the poster or framed document and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font,” according to the text of the bill. HB 71 also specifies the exact language that must be printed on the classroom displays. Republican state Rep. Dodie Horton has said the Ten Commandments are rooted in legal history and her bill would place a “moral code” in the classroom. She dismissed concerns from Democrats and other opponents that a state requiring a religious text in all […]

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