MONTGOMERY — The Senate Education Policy Committee held a public hearing on Wednesday regarding legislation requiring K-12 public schools and colleges to display the Ten Commandments.
The bill by State Sen. Keith Kelley (R-Anniston) would require each local board of education and the governing body of each college or university to display the Ten Commandments. The bill would provide that no local board of education or public institution of higher education is required to use its funds to comply with the display requirement and that it may accept donations to comply with the display requirement.
During the public hearing, Kelley said the bill was "not promoting any particular religion."
"Of course, we all know the Ten Commandments are found in numerous religious doctrines," Kelley said. "All it is doing is promoting those Ten Commandments as the foundation of Western cultural law and the founding of our country from a historical perspective."
Rabbi Steven Silberman opposed the legislation, saying displaying the Ten Commandments in schools would cause an "intrusion into the minds and hearts of our students."
"That's big government in every sense of the word," Silberman said.
Alabama Republican Party chairman John Wahl said at the hearing he was "very supportive" of the legislation.
"I think it's incredibly important that we recognize what the Ten Commandments have done for our society for generations. This is not about forcing religion on anyone but recognizing the historical value and the moral values of the 10 Commandments and their impact on our legal system in our state and in our country," Wahl said.
No vote was taken by the committee on the legislation on Wednesday after the public hearing.
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