NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A bill signed into law this week makes Louisiana the only state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom in public schools and colleges — and stirs the long-running debate over the role of religion in government institutions.

Under the new law, all public K-12 classrooms and state-funded universities will be required to display a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” next year.

Civil liberties groups planned lawsuits to block the law signed by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, saying it would unconstitutionally breach protections against government-imposed religion. “We’re going to be seeing Gov. Landry in court,” said Rachel Laser, the president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

State officials are stressing the history of the Ten Commandments, which the bill calls “foundational documents of our state and national government.”

Similar bills requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms have been proposed in other statehouses — including Texas, Oklahoma and Utah.

Reasonable and needed or unconstitutional and harmful?

At Archbishop Shaw High School, a Catholic-run school in suburban New Orleans, the head of school, the Rev. Steve Ryan, said he was pleased that the Ten Commandments will be posted on public school walls.

“These laws, which are part of the Judeo-Christian tradition, are good safeguards for society. They are actually reasonable,” Ryan said.

In Baton Rouge, Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican ally of Landry, said she was looking forward to defending the law.

“The 10 Commandments are pretty simple (don’t kill, steal, cheat on your wife), but they also are important to our country’s foundations,” she said on social media.

Opponents of the law argued that eroding the constitutional barrier between religion and government is illegal and unfair.

“We’re worried about public school families and students in Louisiana,” Laser said. “They come from a variety of different traditions and backgrounds, different religious beliefs, nonreligious beliefs and students in those classrooms will be made to feel like outsiders when they see the government endorsing one set of narrow religious beliefs over others.”

Louisiana’s 2020 teacher of the year, Chris Dier, echoed those fears, and said he doesn’t intend to post the Ten Commandments in his classroom.

“I don’t believe in doing something that is unconstitutional and harmful to students,” he said. It is unclear whether there is a punishment for refusing to comply with the mandate.

The law was praised by former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was removed from office in 2003 after disobeying a federal judge’s order to remove a 5,280-pound (2.4 metric tonne) granite Ten Commandments display from the state court building.

“Nobody can make you believe in God. Government can’t tell you that, but it must acknowledge the God upon which this nation is founded,” Moore said.

Members of the Islamic Society of North America and the Council on American-Islamic Relations expressed concerns about the law.

“Is it to highlight universal principles that everyone should embrace? Or is the intent to send a message to Muslim students or others that, ‘Your religion — not welcome here, only one understanding of one religion is welcome here?’” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of CAIR.

Mitchell said Muslims respect the Ten Commandments, which are largely reinforced by similar passages throughout the Quran and the teachings of the prophet Muhammad. But he said the context is troubling for reasons including the use of a Ten Commandments translation associated with evangelicals and other Protestants.

Earlier Ten Commandments controversies

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a similar Kentucky law violated the establishment clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says Congress can “make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The high court found that the law had no secular purpose but rather served a plainly religious purpose.

In its most recent rulings on Ten Commandments displays, the Supreme Court held in 2005 that such displays in a pair of Kentucky courthouses violated the Constitution. At the same time, the court upheld a Ten Commandments marker on the grounds of the Texas state Capitol in Austin. Those were 5-4 decisions but the court’s makeup has changed, with a 6-3 conservative majority now.

The main differences in the two cases — at least according to the one swing vote, then-Justice Stephen Breyer — was that the Kentucky counties’ officials demonstrated an unmistakable track record of religious motives in the posting, whereas the motives behind the Texas display were more on the “borderline” between religious and secular. Plus, Breyer said, the Texas monument had passed a test of time, standing among other monuments for decades without legal challenge.

Other religion-government fights

After he was removed as chief justice of Alabama Supreme Court in 2003 for his refusal to remove the Ten Commandments monument, Moore was elected to the post again, but was suspended from the bench in 2016 after a judicial discipline panel ruled he had urged probate judges to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Moore disputed the accusation.

Louisiana has had a prominent role in the church-state legal fight before. In 1987, the Supreme Court struck down a 1981 Louisiana statute that required instruction on evolution to be accompanied by teaching on “creation science.” The court found that the statute had no identifiable secular purpose and the “pre-eminent purpose of the Louisiana Legislature was clearly to advance the religious viewpoint that a supernatural being created humankind.”

Mississippi has mandated the display of “In God We Trust” in schools since 2001. Louisiana passed a similar mandate that became law last year.

The latest pushes to post the Ten Commandments follow a major victory for the religious right in 2022: The Supreme Court ruled that a high school football coach in the state of Washington who knelt and prayed on the field after games was protected by the Constitution.

How the Ten Commandments are viewed

Jews and Christians regard the Ten Commandments as having been given by God to Moses, according to biblical accounts, on Mount Sinai. Not every Christian tradition uses the same Ten Commandments. The order varies as does the phrasing, depending on which Bible translation is used. The Ten Commandments in the signed Louisiana legislation are listed in an order common among some Protestant and Orthodox traditions.

Disputes over the law likely won’t just be about whether the commandments should be mandated on school room walls, but also which version, said James Hudnut-Beumler, a professor of American religious history at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The Ten Commandments always look universal until you put a shortened list up on the wall and discover that there’s room for dispute.”

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Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Associated Press writers Stephen Smith in New Orleans; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Mark Sherman in Washington; Holly Meyer in Nashville, Tennessee; Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi; and Peter Smith in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Monday signed a bill that will make kindergarten mandatory in Louisiana.

The measure, Senate Bill 10, won Senate approval 38-0 and cleared the House 70-32.

Backers said the new requirement will help improve classroom performance by ensuring all young children are learning at an early age.

After debate, LSU board asks Louisiana to require COVID vaccine for public school students The LSU Board of Supervisors narrowly approved a resolution Friday asking the Louisiana Department of Health to add the COVID vaccines to the …

Under the law, youngsters who turn 5 by Sept. 30 will be required to attend kindergarten.

The parents of children who are 4 on the first day of school can decide to hold their children back a year and enroll them in kindergarten the following school year. There is also an exception for children enrolled in a prekindergarten program.

Families can comply with state law by home schooling their children in kindergarten.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Transgender students from kindergarten through college at Ohio public and private schools will be banned from using multiperson bathrooms that fit their gender identities under a measure that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said Wednesday that he has signed.

WATCH: Transgender Americans share concerns about Trump’s threats to rollback rights

DeWine signed the law out of public view Tuesday over the objections of Democrats, teachers’ unions and civil rights groups, which had hoped that his objections to a ban on gender-affirming care for minors last year would carry through and prompt another veto. It takes effect in 90 days.

The governor issued no statement regarding the signing.

The Republican-backed measure — labeled the “Protect All Students Act” — requires public and private schools, colleges and universities to designate separate bathrooms, locker rooms and overnight accommodations “for the exclusive use” of either males and females, based on one’s gender assigned at or near birth, in school buildings and other facilities used for school-sponsored events. It contains no enforcement mechanism.

“It revolves around safety, security, and, I think, common sense. It protects our children and grandchildren in private spaces where they are most vulnerable,” said Republican Ohio state Sen. Jerry Cirino, the bill’s sponsor.

School employees, emergency situations and people assisting young children or someone with a disability are exempted from the restrictions and schools can still offer single-use or family bathrooms.

Aaron Baer, president of the Center for Christian Virtue, which backed the bill, said in a statement, “Common sense is on a winning streak in America today. No student should be forced to go into the bathroom or locker room with a student of the opposite sex, and Ohio’s kids are better protected now because of Governor DeWine’s decision to sign this bill.”

The ACLU of Ohio was among the groups that had lobbied for a veto, condemning the measure as a violation of the right of privacy of LGBTQ+ Ohioans that will make them less safe.

Equality Ohio, the state’s LGBTQ+ advocacy and legal aid organization, said the law poses risks to transgender youth “or anyone perceived as transgender by authorities.”

“We are deeply disappointed that Governor DeWine has allowed this dangerous bill to become law that puts vulnerable trans youth at risk for abuse and harassment,” Executive Director Dwayne Steward said in a statement. The group said it will continue to fight “for a state that embraces and respects all its residents.”

With DeWine’s signature, Ohio adds to the pushback that’s cropped up nationally among many Republican politicians, including President-elect Donald Trump, as transgender people have gained more visibility and acceptance on some fronts in recent years.

READ MORE: Mississippi Gov. Reeves signs law restricting transgender people’s use of bathrooms and locker rooms

Twenty-six states have now adopted laws restarting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Dec. 4 on whether Tennessee’s ban on such treatments can continue to be enforced; any ruling is likely to impact policies in other states, too.

At least 11 states have adopted laws, like Ohio’s, barring transgender girls and women from girls and women’s bathrooms at public schools – and in some cases, in other government facilities.

And at least 24 states have laws dictating which sports competitions transgender girls and women can join.

Ohio’s bathroom bill was debated for 19 months before finally clearing the GOP-led Legislature on Nov. 13, during Transgender Awareness Week. It was tacked onto a separate piece of legislation by the Ohio House that related to the state’s College Credit Plus program, which allows high-schoolers to earn college credit.

Trump’s campaign leaned heavily into opposing transgender rights in the last weeks of his race against Vice President Kamala Harris, including Trump’s vow at a Madison Square Garden rally that “we will keep men out of women’s sports” and campaign ads saying, “Kamala’s for they/them. President Trump is for you.”

WATCH: Why anti-transgender political ads are dominating the airwaves this election

It’s not clear what policies Trump might adopt once he takes office in January. But bills relating to gender issues are already being queued up in state legislatures that come into session early in 2025.

In Texas, for instance, there are proposed measures to bar using state money to pay for “gender reassignment,” to use state money to pay to reverse gender transitions, and to give people who receive gender-affirming care before they turn 15 until they turn 25 to sue their doctors for malpractice, among others. Democrats in the Republican-dominated legislature there have also introduced some bills intended to protect people from discrimination on the basis of “gender identity or expression.”

In Ohio, a law that both bars gender-affirming care for minors and blocks transgender girls and women from participating in girls and women’s sports competitions took effect in August. It took a rocky path, though. The measure became law only after the legislature overrode DeWine’s veto. And after that, a judge put enforcement on hold for about four months before allowing it.

Posted Thursday, July 31, 2025 8:00 pm

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana drivers better think twice before camping in the left lane, and parents gained new protections against online predators as hundreds of new state laws took effect Friday.

The sweeping changes, passed during the 2025 legislative session, affect everything from highway behavior to hunting regulations. Here’s what residents need to know about the most significant new rules:

Traffic & Vehicle Rules

Window tint reform (Act 143 / HB 119): Front side windows can now be tinted to 25% visibility, down from the previous 40% requirement. This matches the standard already allowed for rear windows. Violations carry fines from $150 to $350 for repeat offenses.

Left-lane enforcement (Act 24 / SB 11): Slow drivers who block the left lane face real consequences now. First-time violators get hit with a $150 fine, while repeat offenders pay $350.

Hands-free driving (Act 288 / HB 519): Say goodbye to scrolling through your phone while driving. The new law allows only a single tap to answer calls. Police will issue warnings through 2025, with full enforcement starting in 2026.

Criminal & Public Safety

Child grooming law (Act 97 / SB 58): Grooming minors under 17 is now a felony, even without physical contact. Prosecutors say this closes a dangerous loophole in existing law.

Critical infrastructure theft (Act 26 / SB 22): Stealing copper wire from power lines or damaging pipelines now carries enhanced penalties as utility companies pushed for stronger protections.

Gift card fraud (Act 28 / SB 38): Using someone else’s gift card without permission is now specifically criminalized, covering both physical and digital cards.

Nitrous oxide regulation (Act 106 / SB 98): “Whippets” dealers face steep fines up to $25,000 for illegal sales as lawmakers cracked down on the party drug.

Expanded gun-carry allowances (Act 420 / SB 101): Concealed carry permit holders gained more flexibility near schools, with updated restrictions that ease some previous limitations.

Use-of-force reporting (Act 426 / SB 128): Police officers must now file detailed written reports after any use-of-force incident.

Electronic monitoring expansion (Act 416 / SB 95): More offenders can qualify for ankle monitors and other electronic tracking instead of jail time.

Immigration enforcement interference (Act 399 / SB 15): Blocking federal immigration operations is now a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Education & Schools

Career and technical education (Act 449 / SB 207): Every public high school must offer vocational training programs or coordinate access to them elsewhere, addressing concerns about job-ready skills.

Mental health screenings (Act 469 / SB 121): School districts can now conduct mental health assessments for students, expanding support services.

Emergency response mapping (Act 425 / SB 126): Schools must maintain current digital maps to help first responders navigate buildings during emergencies.

Military status protections (Act 100 / SB 66): Discrimination based on military or veteran status is now prohibited in schools, workplaces, and housing.

Consumer Protection & Civil Rights

Kratom ban (Act 41 / SB 154): The herbal supplement is now completely illegal to possess, sell, or distribute anywhere in Louisiana.

Insurance repair estimates (Act 406 / SB 34): Auto insurers must notify customers before changing repair estimates, giving consumers more control over the claims process.

Credit score use disclosure (Act 465 / SB 61): Insurance companies must tell policyholders if their credit rating affects their premiums. Full implementation begins July 1, 2026.

ABLE account exemption (Act 110 / SB 118): Contributions to savings accounts for people with disabilities are now exempt from state income taxes.

Hunting, Environment & Veterans

Nighttime frogging (Act 109 / SB 106): Frog hunters can now use firearms after dark, as long as they stay sober while doing it.

Seafood dealer reporting (Act 91 / SB 23): Commercial seafood vendors must provide receipts and submit catch data to wildlife officials.

Veterans’ license discounts (Act 321 / SB 69): Honorably discharged veterans and National Guard retirees can buy hunting and fishing licenses for just $20.

Weather modification ban (Act 95 / SB 46): Cloud seeding and other attempts to alter weather patterns are now prohibited statewide.

Elections & Civic Policy

Election betting ban (Act 4 / SB 90): Political gambling is off the table in Louisiana, even as the state embraces sports betting.

Exit polling regulations (Act 37 / SB 80): New guidelines govern how exit polls can be conducted on election day.

Campaign signs at school venues (Act 89 / SB 4): Political campaigns can place signs at school athletic facilities if they pay for them directly.

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – New laws will go into effect in Louisiana on August 1. Governor Jeff Landry signed 516 bills into law and vetoed 18. Below is a list of some of those legislative actions and how they could affect you.

Kratom is now criminalized in Louisiana. The new law will apply to the possession, production, and distribution of controlled substances.

Laws protecting children from predators are a regular legislative occurrence, and the Louisiana legislature has defined and made illegal the crime of “grooming.” Starting on August 1, 2025, the state defines “grooming” as the pursuit of an intimate relationship with a child under the age of 17 through seduction, emotional manipulation, threats, promises, coercion, enticement, isolation, or extortion with specific intent to commit a sexual offense against a minor, whether aggravated or not.

Gift card scams can be prosecuted under a new law authored by Senator Bob Hensgens, who represents parts of Acadiana, in SB38. The new law creates the crime of “theft of gift cards or gift card redemption information.” Charges begin for misappropriations of under $100 and go up to those exceeding $25,000.

Slow drivers, R.S. 32:71(B)(2) is for you! Any vehicle on a multilane highway at a speed lower than the maximum posted speed limit shall drive in the right lane except when overtaking a vehicle or making a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway. Failure to comply will result in fines of $150 – $250.

Veterinarians and veterinary clinics are now included in the definition of “healthcare professional” or “healthcare facility,” providing them the same protections that doctors, nurses, or others in hospitals, clinics, surgical centers, and the like. Now, doctors and animal hospital staff members are concerned about members of the public who “disrupt operations” at the facility through acts of violence or other threatening acts.

Filmmakers who apply for state-certified productions or “qualified entertainment companies” approved by the Louisiana Economic Development are eligible for the state’s film tax incentive program.

You’ve seen the memes and online commentary about learning the Pythagorean theorem in schools instead of basic financial literacy, and now high schoolers in Louisiana will know what generations before them did not. While the particulars of the curriculum will seemingly be left to BESE and local districts, the language in R.S. 17:270(B)(2)(n) requires that topics include but are not limited to scholarships, grants, and other financial opportunities to pay for postsecondary education.

Notaries may now receive death certificates in certain circumstances if they can prove they are assisting an heir of the deceased with small details of succession preparation.

Taxi cab drivers have long cried foul over the requirement that they obtain a chauffeur’s license, while ride-share drivers who provide similar transportation services do not. HB170 eliminates that requirement, allowing taxi cab drivers to operate using the standard Class E license in Louisiana, which is for drivers of passenger vehicles.

State park wardens can now ticket litterbugs. This legislation was supported by Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, who is a champion of eliminating litter in Louisiana.

The next time you attend a high school athletic event, you may notice new signage. This’s because ACT 89 authorizes campaign signs on school athletic facilities and gymnasiums, provided the political candidate or campaign pays for the sign. Signs are prohibited from being in the right-of-way of publicly owned property or placed on public utility poles and stanchions. The law is subject to the school board policy.

Multifamily property owners who do not pay for utilities that are included in monthly rent payments can be held accountable by local municipalities. Senator Sam Jenkins and Senator Thomas Pressly drafted the bill. Both senators represent Caddo Parish, an area that made news for multiple properties in Shreveport that were delinquent in utilities, causing hardships for residents, including relocation and intermittent water disconnections.