Alabama state leaders speak on the possibility of putting the Ten Commandments in schools
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - As Louisiana teachers prepare to put the Ten Commandments in their classrooms, state leaders in Alabama foresee a future where it could happen here too.
“I’m sure there will be at least one bill coming forward next session. Probably one in each chamber would be my guess,” said Republican State senator Sam Givhan of Madison County.
He said he isn’t sure if that should be a priority for the state.
Back in 2002, State Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore made national headlines when he displayed the Ten Commandments in the Alabama Judicial Building.
Moore and the monument were both removed after a federal court ruled it unconstitutional, but Givhan said things have changed since then.
“Apparently on that issue, there’s an existing junction. I think that case would have to be reopened to put it back in the Supreme Court building, and that would be up to the chief justice.”
House Minority Leader, Democrat Anthony Daniels of Huntsville, said he would strongly oppose a Louisiana style commandments bill for Alabama, calling it ridiculous.
“Unless the Ten Commandments are going to increase grade-point averages or the curriculum for math and reading and science and history for young people, I think it’s a complete waste of time,” he said.
Daniels agrees with Givhan, saying he expects some lawmakers to introduce the bill to score political points. But he said there are more important things to do.
“We should be focusing on paying our educators more money, making certain that we’re focusing on birth-to-pre-k programs with a curriculum so that children have access to it early on,” he said. “Until we pass legislation that helps families that’s there last best chance to bring life into this world of defining a fertilized embryo as not being a child, then I don’t want to have a conversation about it.”
The dust hasn’t settled on the situation in Louisiana just yet either.
Lawsuits are expected to challenge the new bill any day now.
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