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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 25 June 2024
Lawsuit challenges new Louisiana law requiring classrooms to

display the Ten Commandments

By SARA CLINE/KEVIN McGILL posters that discuss our own
Associated Pressu legal history,” Murrill said in
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Civil the emailed statement. The
liberties groups filed a lawsuit Ten Commandments have
Monday to block Louisiana’s long been at the center of
new law that requires the Ten lawsuits across the nation.
Commandments to be dis- In 1980, the U.S. Supreme
played in every public school Court ruled that a similar
classroom, a measure they Kentucky law violated the
contend is unconstitutional. establishment clause of the
Plaintiffs in the suit include U.S. Constitution, which says
parents of Louisiana public Congress can “make no law
school children, represented respecting an establishment
by attorneys with the Ameri- of religion.”
can Civil Liberties Union, Amer- The high court found that the
icans United for Separation law had no secular purpose
of Church and State, and but rather served a plainly
the Freedom From Religion religious purpose.
Foundation. In a more recent ruling, the
Under the legislation signed Supreme Court held in 2005
into law by Republican Gov. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signs bills related to his education plan, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at that such displays in a pair
Jeff Landry last week, all Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School in Lafayette, La. Associated Press of Kentucky courthouses vio-
public K-12 classrooms and lated the Constitution.
state-funded universities “foundational documents of religious beliefs on public- and some local school boards. At the same time, the court
will be required to display a our state and national gov- school children, regardless Landry and Louisiana Attorney upheld a Ten Command-
poster-sized version of the Ten ernment.” of the harm to students and General Elizabeth Murrill sup- ments marker on the grounds
Commandments in “large, The lawsuit filed Monday seeks families,” the lawsuit says. port the new law, and Murrill of the Texas state Capitol in
easily readable font” next a court declaration that the “The law’s primary sponsor has said she is looking forward Austin. Those were 5-4 deci-
year. new law, referred to in the and author, Representative to defending it. sions, but the court’s makeup
Opponents argue that the lawsuit as HB 71, violates First Dodie Horton, proclaimed dur- She issued a statement say- has changed, with a 6-3 con-
law is a violation of separa- Amendment clauses forbid- ing debate over the bill that ing she couldn’t comment di- servative majority now.
tion of church and state and ding government establish- it ‘seeks to have a display of rectly on the lawsuit because Other states, including Texas,
that the display will isolate ment of religion and guar- God’s law in the classroom she had not yet seen it. Oklahoma and Utah, have
students, especially those anteeing religious liberty. It for children to see what He “It seems the ACLU only se- attempted to pass require-
who are not Christian. Pro- also seeks an order prohibiting says is right and what He says lectively cares about the First ments that the schools display
ponents say the measure is the posting of the Ten Com- is wrong.’” Amendment it doesn’t care the Ten Commandments.
not solely religious, but that mandments in public school Defendants include state when the Biden administra- However, with threats of
it has historical significance. classrooms. Superintendent of Education tion censors speech or arrests legal battles, none has the
In the language of the law, “The state’s main interest in Cade Brumley, members of pro-life protesters, but appar- mandate in place except for
the Ten Commandments are passing H.B. 71 was to impose the state education board ently it will fight to prevent Louisiana. q

Mass shootings across the U.S. mark the first weekend of summer

By JOHN SEEWER and SHA- Saturday after pulling over of rounds were fired at a Chief John Hall said inves- the gun violence “is outra-
RON JOHNSON a car with four people. crowded party early Sun- tigators recovered more geous, it’s unacceptable,
Associated Press Police in Montgomery, day, leaving nine people than 350 different spent and it must stop.”
The first weekend of sum- Alabama, said hundreds wounded. Interim Police shell casings. One person was killed and
mer brought a tragic yet “This senseless violence just seven were injured in Day-
familiar pattern for Ameri- has to stop,” said Mont- ton, Ohio, after a shooting
can cities wracked by gun gomery Mayor Steven early Monday in a neigh-
violence as mass shootings Reed, who called it a bless- borhood where a large
left dozens dead or wound- ing that no one died while crowd had gathered, po-
ed at a party in Alabama, also asking for help in keep- lice said. Six people were
an entertainment district in ing guns out of the hands of wounded early Sunday at
Ohio and a grocery in Ar- criminals. a park in Rochester, New
kansas. Gunfire also broke out early York, after police said at
It was the second straight Sunday on the main street least one person started
weekend that saw an out- of a popular restaurant shooting into a crowd.
break of mass shootings and entertainment district The weekend of mass
across the U.S., prompting near downtown Columbus, shootings began Friday in
mayors in places marred Ohio. the small city of Fordyce,
by the violence to plead Ten people were injured, Arkansas, where four peo-
for help. one in critical condition, ple were killed and another
In Michigan, a deputy was leading the city’s mayor to 11 injured including the al-
fatally shot while pursuing call for more action from leged gunman. The gunfire
a suspected stolen vehicle Bo Lanthrop, right, embraces a member of the Fordyce Police state and federal govern- sent shoppers and store
in what the county sheriff Department during a candlelight vigil in the parking lot of the ments to keep guns off employees ducking for
described as an ambush. Mad Butcher grocery store in honor of the victims of Friday’s the streets and for parents cover. Among those killed
A Philadelphia police offi- mass shooting, in Fordyce, Ark., Sunday, June 23, 2024. to watch their children. was a 23-year-old new
cer was critically wounded Associated Press Mayor Andrew Ginther said mom.q