Louisiana's Ten Commandments law unconstitutional, federal judge says
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Louisiana's law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments is unconstitutional, a federal judge said Tuesday.
Why it matters: The law has become a conservative battle flag for Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican governor empowered by a GOP supermajority in the statehouse who said he "couldn't wait to be sued" when he signed the law earlier this year.
The latest: U.S. District Judge John deGravelles, an appointee of President Obama, said the law violated court precedent and the First Amendment.
- deGravelle's decision cited the 1980 case Stone v. Graham, which he called "legally indistinguishable" from the Louisiana law.
- In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that a Ten Commandments display in Kentucky was unconstitutional.
Catch up quick: The bill was written by state Rep. Dodie Horton (R-Haughton) and required the Ten Commandments be printed on a poster no smaller than 11 inches by 14 inches.
- In a press conference earlier this year, Landry and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill shared examples of posters they said would have been constitutional and met the requirements of the law
- Had the law been upheld, schools would have been required to post the documents in January 2025.
Multi-faith families and civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, filed the federal lawsuit in June.
- Monday's ruling "should serve as a reality check for Louisiana lawmakers who want to use public schools to convert children to their preferred brand of Christianity," said ACLU attorney Heather L. Weaver in a press release. "Public schools are not Sunday schools, and today's decision ensures that our clients' classrooms will remain spaces where all students, regardless of their faith, feel welcomed."
The big picture: Other states have attempted similar legislation, including Texas, South Carolina and Utah, but none have been successful.
- President-elect Trump has also praised the Louisiana law, writing on Truth Social that it "may be, in fact, the first major step in the revival of religion, which is desperately needed, in our country," Axios' Ivana Saric reports.
What's next: Louisiana could bring the lawsuit to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
- The New Orleans court is widely recognized for its conservative decisions.
Editor's note: This story will be updated with additional information.
