As the school year is gearing up, Ten Commandments displays will be required in certain Alabama public school classrooms beginning January 1, a law House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter called a “major win” for the state.
“Getting this bill across the finish line last session was a major win for the people of Alabama,” Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) wrote in a social media post.
“America was built on faith, and Alabama’s Christian values are the foundation of our state,” he continued. “We won’t ever shy away from that.”
Getting this bill across the finish line last session was a major win for the people of Alabama.
America was built on faith, and Alabama’s Christian values are the foundation of our state. We won’t ever shy away from that. https://t.co/mVTd8dcyUu
— Nathaniel Ledbetter (@RepLedbetter) August 4, 2026
Gov. Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 99 into law in April after it cleared the Legislature during the 2026 regular session. The measure was sponsored by State Sen. Keith Kelley (R-Anniston), with State Rep. Mark Gidley (R-Hokes Bluff) carrying the House effort.
The law takes effect October 1, but local school boards will have until January 1, 2027 to place an approved display in every fifth through 12th grade classroom where United States history is routinely taught.
The displays will also be required in an entryway or common area, such as a cafeteria or library, in schools serving students in fifth grade or above. The requirement is subject to the availability of donated displays or donated funding. School systems are not required to spend their own money to comply.
Each poster or framed document must be at least 11 by 14 inches and use a design approved by the state superintendent of education.
Along with the Ten Commandments, the display includes historical context involving the Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
It also states that Alabama does not establish a religion by law and that personal decisions involving faith are left to students and their families.
Supporters have argued the measure recognizes the influence of the Judeo-Christian tradition on American government, law and civic life.
“It’s not a religious document. It’s a historical founding document that builds on how our culture, how our law, and how our nation was formed through a historical standpoint,” Kelley said as the bill moved through the Legislature.
The 2026 law is narrower than an unsuccessful version introduced during the previous legislative session. The earlier proposal would have applied more broadly across K-12 schools and initially included public colleges and universities.
Sawyer Knowles is a state and political reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
