Louisiana Law Requires "In God We Trust" to Be Displayed in All Schools

The law that went into effect on August 1st, requires that the motto be prominently displayed in every classroom

Photo byKelly SikkemaonUnsplash

A new law in Louisiana requires public schools to make sure "In God We Trust" has a place in their classrooms.

The law, known as HB8, was signed by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards in June. The law went into effect on August 1st and was authored by Representative Dodie Horton, R-Haughton.

Each classroom is required to have the motto at minimum "displayed on a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches. The motto shall be the central focus of the poster or framed document and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font," according to HB8 Act 264 bill documents.

The Louisiana government has provided additional guidelines on how the national motto is to be displayed, including size and composition.

Elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools will all be required to have the motto in each classroom.

Additionally, the law states that it "does not require a public school governing authority to spend its funds to purchase national motto displays. A governing authority may spend its funds or donated funds to purchase the displays and may accept donated displays."

"In God We Trust" has been the national motto of the U.S. since 1956 when the 84th Congress passed a joint resolution without debate, and it was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Previously, a 2018 law was in place requiring each Louisiana school to have "In God We Trust" displayed somewhere in the building.

The author of the 2018 bill, Senator Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, told the USA TODAY Network in May 2018 that they were “not pushing God on anybody. We’re incorporating it as part of the history of our nation."

"It’s our national motto, for goodness sake,” Barrow said at the time. “If it’s good enough to be on our money, it’s good enough to be in our schools.”

The law does not compel schools to spend money on the displays and allows for funds or signage to be donated.

Other states have recently passed similar laws mandating the display of the national motto in public facilities — including Florida, Arkansas, South Dakota, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas.

The spiritual nature of the phrase has for decades inspired legal action from some anti-religious activists who claim its official use by the U.S. infringes against citizens with different beliefs.