LOUISIANA DEMOCRATS APPLAUD FEDERAL JUDGE DECISION RULING EXTREME REPUBLICANS’ TEN COMMANDMENTS LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2024
CONTACT: communications@lademo.org

LOUISIANA DEMOCRATS APPLAUD FEDERAL JUDGE DECISION RULING EXTREME REPUBLICANS’ TEN COMMANDMENTS LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Chair Gaines: “This is something our government has no place in doing… we have separation of church and state for a reason”

BATON ROUGE, LA — Today, a federal judge ruled that Louisiana’s new law mandating public schools to display the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. 

The decision, issued by U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles in the Middle District of Louisiana, means that public K-12 schools and colleges are not required to display the religious text in every classroom by the January 1 deadline set by the law. The ruling blocks enforcement of the law, HB 71, and instructs state officials to notify schools that the law is unconstitutional.

Louisiana was on track to become the first state in over 40 years to require public schools to display the Ten Commandments, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1980 ruling against a similar law in Kentucky. The law, signed by Republican Governor Jeff Landry in June, mandates that every classroom display the Ten Commandments on posters with specific wording and size requirements. 

The law has sparked significant national debate, with many arguing that it violates the separation of church and state, religious freedom protections, and students’ First Amendment rights.

In today’s ruling, Judge deGravelles ruled that the law is coercive, effectively forcing students to be exposed to religious messages in every classroom. He also pointed to statements by Governor Landry and the bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Dodie Horton, which revealed the law’s primary religious intent, dismissing claims of a secular purpose as insincere.

Louisiana Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill promised to appeal the ruling.

Randal Gaines, Chair of the Louisiana Democratic Party, released the following statement:

“Louisiana Democrats strongly agree with Judge deGravelles’ decision today, and I applaud his fortitude to stand up for the constitutional rights of all Louisianans. It is only right for personal beliefs, including those shaped by religion, to not impose restrictions on the rights of others. 

“Since Day One of discussion on this law, the dangerous duo of Jeff Landry and Liz Murrill have made it clear that they want to impose their religious beliefs on every Louisianan. They do not care for anyone who believes differently from them, and regardless, this is something our government has no place in doing. We have separation of church and state for a reason, and everyone’s First Amendment rights should be protected and respected, regardless of their age or personal faith. 

“Individuals should be able to hold their own religious views while also respecting and supporting others, especially our state’s impressionable children. Louisiana’s people aren’t forcing our Governor and Attorney General to compromise their faith. We respect their personal spiritual beliefs, and they should do the same for all of us. It’s basic human decency.”

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