A law signed by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards last month requiring all public schools in the state to display "In God We Trust" in each classroom went into effect this week.
House Bill 8 mandates that the United States national motto be displayed "on a poster or framed document that is at least 11 inches by 14 inches," be its central focus, and be in "large, easily readable font."
Public schools will not be required to use funds to purchase the displays and can use donated funds or accept donated displays.
Edwards, a Democrat, signed the legislation, joining several other states that have sought to emphasize the motto. Among them are Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
A previous version of the bill passed in 2018 and only required the motto to be in school buildings, CNN reported at the time.
"I still feel strongly that America is a Christian nation," Shelby Ainsworth, the principal of West Monroe High School in West Monroe, Louisiana, informed CBS' WAFB 9 in 2019.
"There are varied opinions even amongst high school students, their parents, the communities, the different churches that are represented, different faiths that we have," she continued. "It's nothing hidden, it's nothing swept under the rug, but it's nothing forced upon anyone."
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