A new law has come in effect.
Arkansas has joined a growing number of states mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Senate Bill 433 into law, following its approval by both chambers of the Republican-majority state legislature. The Senate supported the bill in a 27-4 vote, with Republicans in favor and Democrats against. In the House of Representatives, the bill passed 71-20, with a similar partisan divide, although two Republicans voted in opposition.
Under the new law, all public schools and taxpayer-funded buildings in Arkansas must prominently display both the national motto “In God We Trust” and the Ten Commandments in framed or poster form. This requirement applies to libraries and classrooms in elementary, secondary, and higher education institutions, as well as state-maintained public buildings. Additional stipulations include the display of both the U.S. and Arkansas state flags in these locations.
In tandem with Senate Bill 433, Sanders also recently approved House Bill 1705, which focuses on educational content. This legislation directs the state’s Board of Education to include teachings in the social studies curriculum that explore the founding of the United States, specifically emphasizing the religious and moral values of the Founding Fathers. Students from grades six through twelve will study how such beliefs influenced the nation’s founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence.
The curriculum will delve into concepts such as the meaning of the phrase “endowed by their Creator” and how Mosaic Law, the New Testament, and the Ten Commandments shaped early American laws and governance. Supporters, such as Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver, have praised the measures, arguing they reinforce the nation’s core values and affirm the role of religious principles in American history.
This move comes amid ongoing national discussions about religion in public schools. Arkansas follows in the footsteps of Louisiana, which previously enacted similar legislation. However, Louisiana’s law has faced legal pushback, with a federal court limiting its enforcement to specific school districts involved in lawsuits challenging the measure. The broader debate continues over the separation of church and state and the role of religious displays in publicly funded educational spaces.