LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There is a new push in Frankfort that could bring the Ten Commandments into Kentucky classrooms.
House Bill 116 was introduced by Representatives Richard White (R-Morehead), Chris Fugate (R-Chavies) and Timmy Truett (R-McKee).
The measure let local school boards choose to allow teachers or administrators to post or read excerpts of the Ten Commandments in classrooms or at school events. This bill would not require schools to display the commandments, but it does gives them the option, unlike laws in other states.
The move comes as an 18-state coalition, led by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, appeals a court decision blocking a Louisiana law requiring all schools to display the Ten Commandments.
The ongoing legal battle in Louisiana is over a challenge from some parents that argue the new mandate is unconstitutional and a violation of separation of church and state. Proponents of the measure say that it is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance to the foundation of U.S. law.
HB 116 is an amendment to a Kentucky law from 2019 that required public and secondary schools display the national motto of the United States, "In God We Trust," in a prominent location in the school.
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