A South Dakota Senate committee narrowly voted 4-3 on January 24, 2025, to advance a bill mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom and their inclusion in history and civics curricula. The legislation now proceeds to the full state Senate.
The proposed law requires 8×14-inch posters with easily readable font and repeals existing provisions allowing local school boards to decide on Ten Commandments displays. The bill mandates teaching the Commandments three times during a student’s K-12 education—once in elementary, middle, and high school—presented “as a historical legal document, including the influence of the Ten Commandments on the legal, ethical, and other cultural traditions of Western civilization.” The bill also mandates instruction on the state and federal constitutions, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.
Freshman Senator John Carley (R-Piedmont), the bill’s sponsor, argued the Ten Commandments’ historical significance in American education, citing their presence in early textbooks like the *New England Primer* and *McGuffey Readers*. He asserted that “outside the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, [there’s] no singular document… more ubiquitous in law, in government and education and media and culture, than the Ten Commandments.” Support for the bill also came from Elijah O’Neal of the American Journey Experience Museum (Texas) and WallBuilders, a Texas-based organization promoting similar legislation in other states, both emphasizing the Commandments’ moral guidance and historical influence. Louisiana recently enacted a similar law, now facing a First Amendment challenge.
However, the bill faced strong opposition from the South Dakota School Administrators Association, the South Dakota Association of School Boards, the South Dakota United Schools Association, the South Dakota Large School Group, the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, and several religious leaders. Opponents argued the bill violates both state and federal constitutional protections against state-sponsored religion, citing the First Amendment and relevant clauses within the South Dakota Constitution. Reverend Lauren Stanley, an Episcopal priest, stated that teaching the Ten Commandments as a basis for law is a violation of religious freedom.
While proponents cited the 2022 Supreme Court case *Kennedy v. Bremerton School District* as precedent for allowing public displays of religious symbols rooted in history and tradition, opponents countered that the bill removes local control, risks costly lawsuits, and presents challenges in explaining potentially controversial content to young students. They also expressed concern about the potential for indoctrination. Senator Jamie Smith (D-Sioux Falls), a former teacher, highlighted the existence of multiple versions of the Ten Commandments and questioned the chosen version’s appropriateness. Even Senator Kyle Schoenfish (R-Scotland), the committee chairman, voted against the bill, arguing that existing law already allows for the display of the Ten Commandments. Senator Sue Peterson (R-Sioux Falls) argued that the bill would likely face minimal issues similar to the state’s existing “In God We Trust” law. The bill’s oversight and enforcement mechanisms are minimal, with the South Dakota Board of Education Standards responsible for compliance and no penalties for noncompliance specified in the legislation.
The committee vote saw Senators Peterson, Sam Marty (R-Prairie City), Stephanie Sauder (R-Bryant), and Curt Voight (R-Rapid City) voting in favor, while Senators Smith, Schoenfish, and Lauren Nelson (R-Yankton) voted against. The specific version of the Ten Commandments included in the bill is appended below.
(Appended: The Ten Commandments as listed in Sen. Carley’s bill)
(1) I AM the LORD your God, thou shalt have no other gods before me;
(2) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image;
(3) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain;
(4) Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy;
(5) Honor thy father and mother;
(6) Thou shalt not murder;
(7) Thou shalt not commit adultery;
(8) Thou shalt not steal;
(9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; and
(10) Thou shalt not covet.