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A proposed law to require the display of the Ten Commandments in all Louisiana K-12 schools, colleges and universities advanced Wednesday in the Legislature, but it鈥檚 now more likely to face a legal challenge after it was amended to include private institutions.

If approved, Louisiana would be the first state to mandate that the Ten Commandments be placed in classrooms.

Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, has promoted her as way to provide moral guidance to students through a historical document she attributes as the source of all laws in the U.S. Schools would not have to spend their money to acquire posters of the Ten Commandments, but they would be required to display them if they are donated.

The House sent the bill to the Senate with an 83-18 vote.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana opposes the legislation.

Opponents of the legislation see it as state-sanctioned religion, which the First Amendment prohibits. Horton was asked whether she saw a problem with people who hold religious beliefs besides Christianity or Judaism who don鈥檛 recognize the Ten Commandments as a moral compass.

鈥淚鈥檓 not concerned with Muslims. I鈥檓 not concerned with atheists,鈥� Horton said. 鈥淚 am concerned with our own children seeing what God鈥檚 law is.鈥�

Debate over Horton鈥檚 bill surpassed three hours on the House floor, with three failed attempts to amend it.

Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, sought to have the Golden Rule to accompany the Ten Commandments. It derives from the New Testament (Matthew 7:12) 鈥溾��in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you 鈥︹��

When asked, Horton said she did not know the origins of the Golden Rule. She objected to Landry鈥檚 amendment, which the House voted down.

Rep. Joy Walters, D-Shreveport, wanted a tagline reading 鈥淎frican American, A.D. 1750鈥� added to displays of the Ten Commandments because they weren鈥檛 considered applicable to Black people until the mid-18th century, she said. Her effort also failed.

Rep. Candace Newell, D-New Orleans, suggested the 42 laws of Ma鈥檃t be displayed in classrooms as well. Some religious historians suggest the Ten Commandments were plagiarized from principles linked to Ma鈥檃t, the Egyptian goddess of truth, justice and order, which were scripted some 2,000 years before Moses received the commandments.

Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans, was unsuccessful when he tried to remove the classroom display mandate from Horton鈥檚 bill, but he did get House members to amend it to require any school that receives state money follow the proposed law.

The addition was problematic for Rep. Mike Bayham, R-Chalmette, who voted for Horton鈥檚 bill and told colleagues it would increase the odds that a non-religious private school would sue to block the law from being implemented.

Representatives who supported the proposal sought to straddle the line between forcing their religious beliefs into the public school setting and what they see as the need to provide guidance to students.

鈥淚 think the moral decline of our children is something we should be concerned about,鈥� Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs said.

Rep. Chad Brown, D-Plaquemine, cited Republican Gov. Jeff Landry鈥檚 inauguration speech from January to explain the need to remove any obstacles to education from the classroom.

鈥淲e need to 鈥榣et the teachers teach,鈥� Brown said, quoting the governor. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe this (the Ten Commandments) is in the curriculum.鈥�

Update: This report was updated to reflect Rep. Delisha Boyd鈥檚 vote change from no to yes.

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