South Dakota House lawmakers are rejecting a proposal to require schools display the Ten Commandments in schools.
It was the last step before the Senate bill would reach the governor’s desk.
Supporters say the Ten Commandments are a historical document.
Rep. Brian Mulder, R-Sioux Falls, voted against the bill. He said the idea leaves out the spiritual aspect of the biblical teaching.
“You’re only telling half the story of the entire bible and God’s word, if we just pull it out and teach on it as a historical document," Mulder said. "I believe you’re just leaving half the story out for me.”
The original bill required display of the Ten Commandments in each classroom. House lawmakers amended the proposal to require one copy of them in a prominent location.
Still, lawmakers rejected the idea 31 to 37.
The ACLU South Dakota calls the rejection a “victory for religious freedom.”
