State Rep. Randy Boyd originally tried this in the spring, but House Bill (HB) 643 never made it out of the education committee.
The bill would amend Section 37-13-163, Mississippi Code of 1972, and would require public schools and charter schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
Boyd tells AFN he's trying again when the legislature gets back in session in January.
“It's going to say that the Ten Commandments has to be posted on every classroom, on a classroom wall in every classroom that is big enough to read from anywhere in the classroom,” Boyd says.
After overcoming lawsuits, Ten Commandment posters are already up in Texas and Louisiana classrooms, backed by a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decision.
“No child is made to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin,” said the 9-8 ruling, Scotbus Blog reported in an April news story.
Boyd says that ruling covers Mississippi, but he's got some reluctant colleagues.
“The main thing I've run into is objection with some of the committee chairmen, the education committee chairmen. Both of them are lawyers, and they feel like the state will get sued, and they say we can't afford the lawsuit,” Boyd explains. “Well, Alliance Defending Freedom will take up our cause if necessary. We should have an attorney general who's willing to spend the cost to get our kids the Word of God in front of them.”
According to Fox News, the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding whether to review the decision made by the Fifth Circuit that allowed the commandments in Texas public schools. That appeal came from the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing Texas parents.
Boyd says the commandments belong in the classroom.
“They're historical, not just religious. And so, why not have them up there so that these kids can know more about the founding of their nation?” Boyd states.
He says it will do Mississippi children good to be exposed to the Ten Commandments.
“These kids look at them, see them, read them occasionally, you know, just up there. Maybe they've got a bored moment in class, and they look up and they read a few of them. God can use that to change their lives,” Boyd says.
