The Alabama Citizens Action Program (ALCAP), a group that represents close to 3,500 churches as Moral Advocates in the state, is lauding the work of Republicans in the Legislature for passing bills that reflect the Christian values of the Yellowhammer State.
During the final days of the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers passed a piece of legislation that requires schools to display the Ten Commandments, and another piece of the legislation that requires abstinence only teaching, also called “sexual risk avoidance,” instead of comprehensive sex education.
Rev. Greg Davis, President and Chief Executive Officer of ALCAP, discussed the issue Friday on “The Rightside” with Allison Sinclair and Amie Beth Shaver, presented by Yellowhammer News.
“You know, schools don’t have to teach sex education,” Davis said, “but if they do, we’d rather them not be teaching some federal program that was probably written by Planned Parenthood and and teach a program that I think more parents would be happier with without demonstrations of things, you know, where, how, here’s how you get an abortion and all these kind of things. So, so we’re pretty proud of that, taking Alabama from a comprehensive sexual education state to a sexual risk avoidance.”
The sexual risk avoidance bill, SB209, sponsored by State Sen. Shay Shelnutt (R-Trussville), prohibits any sex education curriculum from including instruction on how to obtain abortions or contraceptives, demonstrations of contraceptive use, or sexually explicit material.
It also requires schools to give parents at least 14 days’ notice before sex education instruction and allows parents to opt their children out without academic penalty. The bill passed the House ushered by sponsor State Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover) in a vote of 82-16.
Davis also celebrated the passage of the Ten Commandments bill, SB99, sponsored by State Sen. Keith Kelley (R-Anniston), which requires each local board of education to display the Ten Commandments alongside a historical context statement in every U.S. history classroom serving students in fifth through twelfth grade, and in a common area of each school serving students in fifth grade or above.
The display must be at least 11 by 14 inches, with its layout and design approved by the state superintendent. Schools are not required to use public funds — the mandate is conditioned on donated displays or donated funds — and the requirement takes effect in January 2027.
“So that was pretty exciting yesterday, Davis said. “I’ll tell you, there were some tears shed over that one, to finally see that one happen.”
Davis said these kinds of reforms will rebuild trust in Alabama’s public school system.
“If you just shut out religion any kind of spiritual support, that’s why people are leaving the public schools and they’re going more to private schools,” he argued.
“So I think some of these things and sexual education. I think some of these issues will encourage or make some parents feel better about, hey, I can leave my kids in public schools when they say I’m going in that direction.”
In signing SB99 on Friday, Governor Kay Ivey issued the following statement:
“In Alabama, we proudly remember that we live in one nation under God. The Ten Commandments – like the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights – are critical to understanding the founding of our country.
Especially as we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is of the utmost importance Alabama’s children understand the history of this great country we call home. That absolutely includes a foundational document like the Ten Commandments.”
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
