The law's text describes the Ten Commandments' "historical role" and says that, "Including the Ten Commandments in the education of our children is part of our state and national history, culture, and tradition."
Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms.
The state’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill into law requiring that a poster of the religious rules in “large, easily readable font” be displayed in kindergarten classrooms up through state-funded universities starting in 2025, USA Today reported.
However, the posters would be paid for through donations and state funds will not be used to implement the mandate, based on language in the legislation, the Associated Press reported.
"If you want to respect the rule of law you've got to start from the original law given, which was Moses," Landry said during the bill-signing ceremony Wednesday.
The law's text describes the Ten Commandments' "historical role" and says that, "Including the Ten Commandments in the education of our children is part of our state and national history, culture, and tradition."
The state legislature passed the Republican-drafted measure in May and it has now been put into law.
Other states like Texas, Utah and Oklahoma are pushing for similar bills, according to the Associated Press.
Opponents have attacked the legislation as unconstitutional.
Following Landry signing the law, the the American Civil Liberties Union released a statement saying they were joining Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation to file suit to challenge the new Louisiana law, CBS News reported.
"The law violates the separation of church and state and is blatantly unconstitutional," the groups said in a joint statement obtained by CBS News. "The First Amendment promises that we all get to decide for ourselves what religious beliefs, if any, to hold and practice, without pressure from the government. Politicians have no business imposing their preferred religious doctrine on students and families in public schools. "
