“Useless laws weaken the necessary laws.” – Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu (1689 – 1755)

Hardy Billington (r) [2022 file photo].

Bill prefiling for the 2025 legislative session has started.

Right off the bat:

FIRST REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 34 [pdf]
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE BILLINGTON.

0241H.01I
DANA RADEMAN MILLER, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 171, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the Ten Commandments in schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 171, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 171.022, to read as follows:

171.022. 1. As used in this section, “Ten Commandments” means the following text:
“The Ten Commandments
I AM the LORD thy God.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.

2. Beginning on January1,2026, each school district’s school board and charter school’s governing board shall display the Ten Commandments in each building and classroom under the school board’s or governing board’s jurisdiction, subject to at least the following requirements:
(1) The nature of such display shall be determined by each school board and governing board;
(2) Such display shall be composed of, at a minimum, a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches; and
(3) The text of the Ten Commandments shall be the central focus of the poster or framed document and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font.

3. (1) A school board or governing board may spend the board’s moneys or donated moneys to purchase the displays.
(2) A school board or governing board may accept donated displays.
(3) This section shall not be construed to require a school board or governing board to spend the board’s moneys to purchase displays.

4. The state board of education may promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are non-severable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after the effective date of this section shall be invalid and void.

In the U.S. Constitution:

Article VI

…no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…

There you go.