(INDIANAPOLIS) - A bill addressing the display of the Ten Commandments in Indiana public schools advanced out of a House committee Tuesday in a revised form that removes an earlier classroom mandate and instead leaves decisions to local school officials.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle reports that House Bill 1086, authored by Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, passed the House Education Committee on an 8-3 party-line vote. The committee amended the bill to eliminate language that would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms and school libraries.
Under the revised proposal, the Ten Commandments would be added to Indiana's list of "protected writings" in education law. That designation governs how certain historical documents may be maintained, referenced and displayed in public schools. The bill now heads to the full House for consideration, with a chamber vote expected later this week.
Indiana law currently recognizes 15 protected writings, including the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and Frederick Douglass' 1852 speech, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?
Schools are required to maintain copies of those documents in their libraries and may not censor them based on religious references. Students are also permitted to reference the materials in coursework without penalty.
House Bill 1086 would add the Ten Commandments to that list. Schools would be required to maintain a copy in their library collections, but posting the document on classroom walls would be optional and subject to local decision-making. The bill specifies that teachers and principals would not be permitted to read the Ten Commandments aloud to students, a restriction not applied to other protected writings.
Supporters of the bill said the changes ensure the legislation recognizes what they describe as the historical significance of the Ten Commandments without imposing religious instruction. Backers testified that the text influenced Western legal systems and moral frameworks.
Opponents argued the measure still raises constitutional concerns related to the separation of church and state. Several critics warned that even optional displays could create pressure on educators and lead to perceptions of government endorsement of religion.
The debate occurs amid broader national scrutiny of similar legislation. Courts are currently considering legal challenges to laws in other states that require Ten Commandments displays in public schools, and lawmakers in several states have introduced related proposals. In Indiana, state officials earlier this month also sought to lift a decades-old injunction preventing the installation of a Ten Commandments monument at the Statehouse.
Representatives from education groups and religious organizations testified during the committee hearing.
The Indiana School Boards Association said amendments to the bill addressed its earlier concerns, leading the group to take a neutral position.
Faith leaders from multiple traditions, along with civil liberties advocates, expressed concern that the bill could alienate students of minority faiths or oversimplify a religious text that varies across traditions.
House Bill 1086 now moves to the House floor for further debate and a vote.