A bill that would require schools to display the Ten Commandments advanced out of an Alabama House committee Wednesday.
House Bill 216, sponsored by Rep. Mark Gidley, R-Hokes Bluff, would require fifth through 12th grade history classrooms to have a poster displaying the Ten Commandments.
“We passed this out of the House off the floor last year,” Gidley told the House Education Policy committee. “I worked with the governor’s office and with many others to try to get a good, solid bill.”
Under the legislation, the Ten Commandments would also have to be displayed in common areas such as school libraries or cafeterias. This would not apply to schools that serve students in kindergarten through fourth grade.
Gidley filed a similar bill during last year’s legislative session. The bill passed the House, but stalled in the Senate.