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Committee debates substitute for bill to display Ten Commandments in classrooms; sponsor withdraws motion for further drafting
Summary
Representative Gidley introduced a substitute to House Bill 178 that would place an 11x14 framed statement of the Ten Commandments with contextual wording where American history is taught; committee members questioned implementation details, funding and scope and the sponsor withdrew the motion to allow amendments and drafting work.
Representative Phillip Gidley opened debate on House Bill 178, saying the bill would return the Ten Commandments to schools as part of a historical display in classrooms where American history is taught. "This is not necessarily about putting the Ten Commandments back in the school. It's about returning something that's been removed," Gidley said, framing the measure as a historical contextualization alongside documents such as the Constitution and Magna Carta.
The substitute offered by the governor’s office would pay for displays with private funds and locate the framed document in the classroom context where American history is taught, rather than requiring placement in every single classroom. "This accomplishes a very important thing that is laid out by the Alabama State Board of Education curriculum," Gidley said, adding the substitute was intended to avoid a fiscal burden on school districts.
Committee members asked practical questions about funding, enforcement and scope. Representative Daniels asked who would pay and how the schools would be held accountable if private donors did not come forward; Gidley said local communities and school boards would be responsible for raising private funds and he had heard of at least one prospective donor.
Representative Paramore asked whether a single display in a multi‑story building would suffice or whether the bill would require placement in every classroom; the sponsor said he had originally drafted language requiring display in every classroom but changed it to allow a single prominent location per building. Committee members also asked about the “context” or explanatory statement that had appeared in the original bill but not clearly in the substitute.
Because committee members raised drafting issues and questions about the substitute’s content and placement rules, Representative Gidley withdrew his motion for a favorable report and the committee agreed to carry the bill over to allow time for amendments and clarification. "At this point in time, because we've got so many bills, I'm going to request that Representative DeBose withdraw your motion and let us have time to work on this bill and these," the chair said in moving the calendar; Representative DeBose (sponsor of a different bill) complied and the committee scheduled further work on HB 178.
Why it matters: the bill would require schools to display a framed historical statement referencing the Ten Commandments funded by private donations and placed in a classroom or prominent location where American history is taught. Committee members requested clearer drafting on funding contingencies, the text of the contextual statement and whether placement across multi‑classroom buildings would be satisfied by a single display.
Next steps: the sponsor agreed to work with members on amendments and the committee carried the bill over at the chair’s call for further drafting.
