LA Commandment Law Blocked

Well, it appears that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry will get what he "couldn't wait for," following a recent federal court ruling. District Judge John Wheadon deGravelles struck down a Louisiana law that required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school and university classroom. The law, passed by a Republican-dominated legislature and signed by Republican Landry, was challenged almost immediately after Landry’s signature dried. Landry’s "can't wait to be sued" statement, made shortly after the signing, served as an invitation to lawsuits from groups he knew would challenge the law on grounds of church-state separation, based on previous Supreme Court decisions.

Landry’s latest move appears calculated, as he likely anticipates that if Louisiana's law reaches the Supreme Court, conservatives might prevail due to the Court’s current 6-3 conservative majority, which has recently leaned toward religious rulings. Although the display of the Ten Commandments in two Kentucky courthouses was ruled unconstitutional in 2005, Louisiana is the first state in the nation to test placing the Commandments in classrooms.

Judge deGravelles appeared unswayed by arguments from Liz Murrill’s office, stating in his ruling, "There is a real and substantial likelihood of coercion if Louisiana students are forced to be a captive audience for a specific version of the Ten Commandments, one posted in every classroom." Strong words. Notably, private institutions remain unaffected by this ruling, even though conservatives like Landry advocate using public funds to support them. They seek to dictate “what is right and good” for the public while disregarding similar standards for private interests in the name of religious morals. Sounds hypocritical.