The state Senate has passed a bill to allow local school districts to post the Ten Commandments in the classroom, and also to require the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Its sponsors call it permissive, because it would be up to each school district.
The main sponsor – Sen. Janna Myrdal – told the Senate behaviors have gotten worse since the Ten Commandments were removed from schools, and prayer was disallowed.
"I'm here today, bringing this forward, because I'm sick and tired of us putting band-aids on all the things we see in society that are so scary," Myrdal said.
Opponents say if the bill passes, it will likely end up in court.
"What attorney in a school district is going to say, 'Yeah -- go ahead,'" said Sen. Ray Holmberg (R-Grand Forks). "You will be sued, no matter what it says here about immunity. You will be in federal court, and you will lose."
Holmberg said he was teaching at a junior high school that had the Ten Commandments posted on the classroom wall.
"In 1980, the Ten Commandments were removed," Holmberg said. "And I'll tell you this -- those 8th graders were just as squirrelly after the Ten Commandments were removed than they were before."
The measure passed 34 to 13 – and will be considered in the House.
