The Ohio Senate has passed a bill that gives public schools the ability to place the Ten Commandments in classrooms and erect monuments in their honor on public school grounds.
SB 34The “Historically Interested Exhibitions Act” would require, beginning in July 2026, all Ohio school boards to select at least four of the following “historical educational documents” to be displayed in all grades 4-12 in history and social studies:
- The Ten Commandments
- Mayflower compact
- Declaration of Independence
- Northwest Ordinance
- Motto of the United States and Ohio
- Magna Karta
- Bill of Rights
- United States Constitution
- Articles of Confederation
All displays must be “reasonably visible” and must be accompanied by a description of the historical significance of the documents.
Additionally, the bill allows schools to erect a “monument or other monument bearing one or more of the historical educational documents” listed above.
SB 34 specifies that boards of education do not have to spend their own funds on these shows, but can accept donations for the shows themselves or funds needed for these shows.
The bill does not place any restrictions on entities that donate these funds or exhibitions – whether they are churches or the anti-LGBTQ+ Center for Christian Virtue – but gives boards the right to refuse to make donations that come with restrictions or conditions, or to refuse to make a donation outright.
The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday and was approved by the full Senate the next day.
Senate testimony
Sen. Terry Johnson (R-McDermott), the bill’s sponsor, said the bill is needed to support the “moral essence of developing Ohio’s youth.”
“The reason we passed this bill is to expose our students to the documents that in America have served as the backbone of our legal and moral traditions as a nation,” Johnson said on the Senate floor Wednesday.
On Tuesday in the Education Committee, Sen. Catherine Ingram (R-Cincinnati) proposed an amendment to remove the Ten Commandments from the list of approved documents. Chairman Andrew Brenner quickly rejected her proposal and ordered an amendment to be tabled.
Ingram introduced the same amendment in the Senate on Wednesday.
“The Ten Commandments are religious,” Ingram said. “Not everyone is the same type of religious person. There is no need for you to force me to fit into your thinking.”
Senate Republicans voted unanimously against the Ingram amendment.
“It’s just indoctrination,” Ingram said. “This bill is another example of religion being used for political purposes.”
Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) pointed out that Tuesday is the birthday of former U.S. President James Garfield – a lawyer and former Ohio state senator – and that Garfield would note that SB 34 violates the Establishment Clause, the part of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from establishing a religion.
“Public schools should never be forced to endorse a religion,” Smith said. “This risks marginalizing minority or no faith students and undermines the inclusive and welcoming environment that every child deserves. [here] is inappropriate.”
Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio called the bill an “insult.” [the nation’s] founders.”
“We should not rewrite history to favor a particular religious text over another,” Antonio said.
Both Antonio and Smith referenced a Texas law that required school districts to post the Ten Commandments: who was recently knocked down. Courts also ruled against similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana. These three laws required districts to display the Ten Commandments, unlike the Ohio bill, which presents the Ten Commandments as a list of options.
SB 34 passed by a vote of 23 to 10. Rep. Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) joined all Senate Democrats in voting against the bill.
The bill will then go to the Ohio House of Representatives for consideration. If the bill passes the Ohio House, it will go to Gov. Mike DeWine for his signature. 🔥
START ACTION
- You can read our LGBTQ+ Legislative Guide here.
- To register to vote or check your eligibility to vote in Ohio, click here.
- To find the contact information for your Ohio State Representative, click here.
