Alabama Requires Ten Commandments Display in Public Schools Starting October 2026
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in history classrooms and common areas. The law takes effect October 1, 2026. Critics say the law violates the separation of church and state and predict legal challenges.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill into law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in history classrooms for grades 5 through 12 and in common areas for fifth grade and above. The law takes effect October 1, 2026.
The displays must be donated or purchased with donated funds, not taxpayer money. The law also requires a context statement explaining the historical significance of the text.
The majority-Republican Alabama legislature passed the bill with supporters arguing that the biblical material helps students understand Christianity's influence on U.S. history and Western civilization.
Critics called the law unconstitutional. The Freedom From Religion Foundation said it would challenge the law in court. Legal experts noted that the Supreme Court struck down a similar Kentucky law in 1980, though the current court's composition has shifted significantly since then.
"This is a lawsuit waiting to happen," said one constitutional law professor who reviewed the legislation.
The law comes as several states are pushing to increase the presence of religious content in public schools. The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary approval this week to a mandatory reading list for public schools that includes passages from the Bible, starting in 2030. Florida's attorney general also stated that Florida would not enforce a portion of its constitution banning public funds for religious institutions.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that a public school football coach had the right to pray on the field after games, a decision that some legal observers say has opened the door to broader religious expression in public schools.
