Lawmaker to back bill requiring Ten Commandments be taught in South Dakota schools

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted and taught in public schools will make an appearance in the 2025 legislative session.

First-term lawmakers usually don’t carry much legislation, if at all, but Senator John Carley out of Piedmont said it’s important to recognize the historical significance of the Ten Commandments in U.S. history.

If Carley’s bill were to pass, it would require schools to have the Ten Commandments posted in classrooms and taught as a historical document.

“We need to illustrate our history and truth, some people may want to say, ‘We don’t want to talk about these topics,’ but the Ten Commandments certainly were a part of the founding of our country,” Carley said.

Carley hopes the Christian document is taught alongside other prominent documents, including the United States and South Dakota Constitutions, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

He said the mention of God does not equate to a push of a religion and points to the Christian God’s role in prominent documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta. He also points to the stories of many historical U.S. figures as proof.

“We call him Reverend Martin Luther King. We are illustrating the historical context that he was a reverend. he wasn’t a Muslim cleric or a Hindu priest. We put his title of what it is to illustrate truth.”

Carley added that although this bill is meant to point out the historical significance of the Ten Commandments, he recognizes that there could be some cultural impact as well.

“If we find kids honoring their father and mother, a lot of parents will be happy about that. If we find people are not stealing, lying or murdering, I think our Sheriff Department and law enforcement will certainly be happy,” said Carley.

Legislative activity continues to pick up with over 50 bills filed with the 100th session just over a week away.

While Senator Carley’s bill has not been posted yet on the South Dakota legislature website, he expects it will be by the end of the week.

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