Federal Appeal Process Continues Over Arkansas’ Ten Commandments Law

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Last week, U.S. District Judge Timothy Brooks issued a final decision against the Ten Commandments in a group of Arkansas school districts, but higher federal courts are already weighing arguments from the case.

Last year the Arkansas Legislature passed Act 573 by Sen. Jim Dotson (R — Bentonville) and Rep. Alyssa Brown (R — Heber Springs). This good law requires privately-funded copies of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools and other public buildings across the state. The measure received strong support in the Arkansas Legislature, and Governor Sanders signed it into law last April.

However, it did not take long for attorneys from the ACLU and a group of atheist organizations to sue to block Act 573. Last week, Judge Brooks in Fayetteville issued a final bad ruling against Act 573 in that lawsuit.

Fortunately, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has intervened in the case, and his office has already appealed previous rulings Judge Brooks made against Act 573 last year.

Amicus briefs in support of Act 573 have already been filed at the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis.

It’s also worth noting a federal appeals court sided with the State of Louisiana last month in a similar case over the Ten Commandments.

In 2024, Louisiana passed a law allowing Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms, but the measure drew immediate legal challenges from groups like the ACLU — just like Arkansas’ Act 573 did.

Fortunately, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court was wrong to block Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law.

Over the years, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states are free to honor and recognize documents or symbols that are important to our nation’s history — like the Ten Commandments or the national motto.

The Ten Commandments are one of the earliest examples of the rule of law, and they have had a profound impact in shaping our society and our government.

In his motion for summary judgment in Arkansas’ Ten Commandments case, Attorney General Tim Griffin wrote:

The Ten Commandments “have been the most influential law code in history.” … And displays and depictions of the decalogue and of Moses throughout government buildings and property reflect the significance of the Ten Commandments to our Nation’s history and heritage. … Act 573 does not violate the Establishment Clause because it is consistent with historical practices and understandings and does not bear any of the hallmarks of religious establishment.

During her testimony in support of Act 573 last year, Rep. Alyssa Brown noted that the U.S. Supreme Court now uses a “longstanding history and tradition test” to decide if it is constitutional to display something like a copy of the Ten Commandments. Rep. Brown said, “The Ten Commandments without a doubt will pass this longstanding history and tradition test.”

We believe our federal courts ultimately will agree and uphold Act 573 as constitutional.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Federal Court Clears Way for Ten Commandments in Louisiana Schools

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A federal appeals court sided with Louisiana on Friday in a case over displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools.

In 2024, Louisiana passed a law allowing Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms, but the measure drew immediate legal challenges from groups like the ACLU.

Fortunately, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a lower court was wrong to block Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law. The appeals court said the legal challenge was “premature” because the displays had not actually been put up in schools yet.

The judges noted that deciding whether the displays are constitutional or not at this point would force the court “to hypothesize an open-ended range of possible classroom displays,” the court said. “[That] is not judging; it is guessing.”

This is good news — and it’s worth remembering Arkansas has made headlines in recent months for displaying copies of the Ten Commandments in public schools and buildings as well.

Act 573 of 2025 by Sen. Jim Dotson (R — Bentonville) and Rep. Alyssa Brown (R — Heber Springs) requires privately-funded copies of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools and other public buildings in Arkansas. The measure received strong support in the Arkansas Legislature last year.

However, lawyers from the ACLU and a group of atheist organizations sued to block the law in Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville, and Siloam Springs. In response, the judge in the case issued decisions against Act 573, claiming the Ten Commandments posters would pressure children “to observe, meditate on, venerate, and follow the State’s favored religious text, and to suppress expression of their own religious beliefs and backgrounds at school.”

But nothing in Act 573 would “pressure” students. In 2017 Arkansas passed the National Motto Display Act allowing the national motto — “In God We Trust” — to be displayed in Arkansas’ classrooms along with the U.S. flag and the Arkansas flag. Act 573 amended the National Motto Display Act to add the Ten Commandments to the list of historical items displayed in school.

Over the years, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states are free to honor and recognize documents or symbols that are important to our nation’s history — like the Ten Commandments or the national motto.

The Ten Commandments are one of the earliest examples of the rule of law, and they have had a profound impact in shaping our society and our government.

In his motion for summary judgment in Arkansas’ Ten Commandments case, Attorney General Tim Griffin wrote:

The Ten Commandments “have been the most influential law code in history.” … And displays and depictions of the decalogue and of Moses throughout government buildings and property reflect the significance of the Ten Commandments to our Nation’s history and heritage. … Act 573 does not violate the Establishment Clause because it is consistent with historical practices and understandings and does not bear any of the hallmarks of religious establishment.

During her testimony in support of Act 573 last year, Rep. Alyssa Brown noted that the U.S. Supreme Court now uses a “longstanding history and tradition test” to decide if it is constitutional to display something like a copy of the Ten Commandments. Rep. Brown said, “The Ten Commandments without a doubt will pass this longstanding history and tradition test.”

We believe our federal courts ultimately will agree and uphold Act 573 as constitutional.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Plaque in Minnesota Capitol Thanks Governor for “Allowing the Spread of Satanism”

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Above: In 2018 the Satanic Temple parked a trailer carrying a statue of the figure baphomet in front of the Arkansas Capitol Building (File Photo).

A satanic plaque displayed in the Minnesota State Capitol is thanking Governor Tim Walz for “allowing the spread of Satanism.”

The plaque, from a group calling itself the “Democrat Coalition of Satan Worshippers,” reads: “The Democrat Coalition of Satan Worshippers thanks Gov. Tim Walz for not standing in the way of spreading Satanism in the state Capitol building. Satan has a special place for you.”

CBN reports Minnesota State Representative Pam Altendorf discovered the display on the ground floor of the Capitol building and shared video of it on social media. The plaque was originally installed last April and was supposed to be temporary. However, the plaque has remained in place.

This isn’t the first time satanic groups have targeted government buildings with controversial displays. The Satanic Temple, for example, has a long history of stirring up controversy around the the country — including in Arkansas.

In 2023, the Satanic Temple placed pro-abortion billboards across Arkansas claiming “Abortions Save Lives.” The group has also opposed Arkansas’ Ten Commandments monument at the State Capitol and even parked a 7½-foot statue of the satanic figure baphomet on a trailer in front of the Arkansas Capitol Building in 2018 after state leaders refused to place the statue on the Capitol lawn permanently.

Arkansans should be grateful that our state leaders have consistently stood against satanic displays like the one in Minnesota. Arkansas has maintained strong protections for religious liberty while refusing to yield to groups that simply want to mock and offend. That is something we should not take for granted.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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