Utah bill adding Ten Commandments to public school curricula advances with favorable recommendation
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A Utah bill that would allow the Ten Commandments to be taught in public schools received a favorable recommendation by the House Education Committee and is now set to go before the full House of Representatives for a vote.
H.B. 269, titled Public School History Curricula Amendments, underwent some major changes while it was in committee and received a favorable vote of 6-2 with seven absentees. Reps. Angela Romero (D) and Carol Moss (D) voted no.
Utah senators split on passed $95 billion defense spending bill
In the original version of the bill, sponsored by Rep. Michael Petersen (R), schools would have been required to display a poster detailing the Ten Commandments. If a copy of the Ten Commandments is not on display and a poster was donated, the public school would then be required to display it.
While in committee, the original version of the bill was significantly altered to instead add the Ten Commandments, as well as the Magna Carta, to a list of historical documents and principles that school curricula and activities may include for study, though doesn’t necessarily have to. The new version of the bill also removed the requirement that the Ten Commandments needed to be on display.
Critics of the bill still voiced concerns about adding a document with religious connotations to the list of historical documents available for study. Both Reps. Romero and Moss said they worry about kids who aren’t religious or of a different faith that Christianity feeling unwelcomed, however, Petersen said his intent is not to teach the religious aspects of the Commandments but their historical significance.
“I think it’s important that our students understand the foundation of our country,” Petersen said in response to Romero’s question on why this bill was important. “I think it’s important that they understand where our laws spring from. Currently, I think there is a hesitancy to share that with them so I want to be explicit that we can teach these things.”
Cox sends Utah National Guard, UHP troopers to US southern border
Dr. Sara Jones with the Utah Education Association said she felt Petersen’s bill possibly violated Utah laws and contradicted another bill the committee passed favorably earlier this week.
“Now regardless of whether you decide there is, in fact, a conflict of code, I think this bill certainly confuses the intent of the legislature about what you want educators to be teaching,” said Jones. “Since, just yesterday, H.B. 303 passed out of this committee prohibiting educators from even inviting or suggesting a student reconsider their religious, social, or political viewpoint.”
An attorney with the non-partisan Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel said H.B. 269 could possibly be in violation of the Utah State Constitution but it would just depend on how the teaching of the Ten Commandments was applied and how it was viewed by the Utah Supreme Court.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
