Arkansas Watches as Appeals Court Rules Ten Commandments Can Stay in Texas Classrooms

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A federal appeals court ruled last week that Texans can display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

The Ten Commandments are one of the earliest examples of the rule of law in human history, and federal courts have ruled that state and local governments can recognize their longstanding tradition and influence in American society. But groups like the ACLU have opposed public displays of the Ten Commandments nationwide.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last week that Texas’ law placing the Ten Commandments in school classrooms does not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The court noted that “no child is required to recite the Commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin.”

This is not the first victory we have seen in the 5th Circuit this year. Louisiana has a similar Ten Commandments law, and the 5th Circuit lifted an injunction against it in February.

Arkansans should pay close attention to these court cases in Texas and Louisiana. Last year, Arkansas enacted a law letting people donate posters of the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms and public buildings. Unfortunately, a federal judge has ruled against the posters at schools in Arkansas.

The 5th Circuit’s decision is a strong signal that laws like Arkansas’ are on solid constitutional ground. With that in mind, we believe our federal courts ultimately will uphold the law and let Arkansans display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

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

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Kansas Legislature Stands Up for Free Speech, Life, and Families with Laws Similar to Arkansas’

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The Kansas Legislature made headlines recently by overriding Governor Laura Kelly’s vetoes of several important bills — such as bills protecting free speech on college campuses, defunding Planned Parenthood, strengthening women’s informed consent laws, and expanding education freedom for families.

All of these measures are similar to good laws Arkansas has enacted over the years.

The Kansas Intellectual Rights and Knowledge Act — the KIRK Act — protects students at public colleges and universities from being censored for their beliefs. Under the law, students are free to engage in speech and expressive activities on campus without fear of punishment for holding the “wrong” viewpoint. The measure is similar to laws Arkansas has enacted in the past.

Public universities are supposed to be places where ideas are freely exchanged. But in recent years, students and faculty with traditional or Christian viewpoints have increasingly found themselves silenced. As our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom have said, this kind of viewpoint-based censorship is a clear violation of the First Amendment.

Government should not be in the business of picking which ideas are acceptable and which ones must be silenced.

The Kansas Legislature also voted to keep taxpayer dollars away from Planned Parenthood. That is exactly the right call.

Arkansans have long agreed that their tax dollars should not subsidize the abortion industry, and Arkansas law reflects that.

On education, Kansas lawmakers passed the Education Freedom Tax Credit, which lets families choose a school that reflects their values rather than being locked into a government-run school. That is a commonsense parental rights measure, and it mirrors the kind of education freedom Arkansas has worked to expand through its own Educational Freedom Account program under the 2023 LEARNS Act.

Arkansas has consistently been a leader when it comes to protecting free speech, the free exercise of religion, and the right to life. It’s good to see other state legislatures doing the same.

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

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Louisville Pays $800K After Trying to Silence Christian Photographer

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Last month a Kentucky city learned a costly lesson about the First Amendment.

Our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom report Louisville has agreed to pay $800,000 in attorneys’ fees after a federal court ruled the city violated the constitutional rights of Christian photographer Chelsey Nelson. Louisville’s “Fairness Ordinance” tried to force Nelson to photograph same-sex weddings and prohibited her from explaining her religious beliefs about marriage on her own studio’s website. The court said no — and now the city is paying for it.

We have written before about Christian photographers, bakers, florists, and wedding chapel owners being dragged into court because they declined to take part in same-sex weddings or ceremonies. Time and again, courts have had to remind government officials that the First Amendment means what it says.

Nelson’s victory builds on the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis, which held that the government cannot force artists to create speech they disagree with. The government cannot compel Americans to say things they don’t believe — and it certainly cannot punish them for saying what they do believe.

People should be free to live and operate according to their deeply held religious convictions.

Arkansas has enacted some of the best protections for religious freedom in the country. But cases like Chelsey Nelson’s are a reminder that those protections must be defended — in court if necessary. We are grateful for organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom that are willing to fight for them.

Louisville’s $800,000 bill proves that violating the Constitution is an expensive mistake.

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

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