Missouri State Bill 594 is in motion to be signed into law starting January 1, 2026. Jamie Burger is the Republican senator petitioning for this bill. Bill 594 states that all schools in Missouri must have the Ten Commandments from the Christian Bible posted in every classroom. They must be 11 by 14 inches in size and have a large, readable font. Schools will not be forced to use their own money to purchase the displays, but they may use their funds/accept donations voluntarily.
Similar bills have been attempted in other states in the past. Kentucky tried to pass a bill in 1980, but it was ultimately struck down because it was ruled to have no secular legislative purpose and to be religious in its nature. The bill was found to be unconstitutional, violating the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which is also referred to as the separation of church and state.
Burger has many senators on his side such as Republican Senator Rick Brattin, who stated at the Board of Education conference on March 25, 2025 that the U.S. is a Christian nation, and that God is the reason that this nation was created and still standing.
“We just need to be willing to plant that flag. That God, and the God of the Ten Commandments, is who gave us this amazing nation, and we need to be able to reflect and look at that,” Brattin said.
Some people believe that it is just supporting religious expression and will promote moral and ethical values. History also comes into play because many Americans believe that the U.S. is built from the foundations of Christianity. Supporters of MO’s state bill 594 claim that it will help students with not only developing morals, but will also help serve as a reminder that the U.S. was created with Christianity as its backbone.
As many supporters as this state bill gets, it also has its fair share of adversaries. The people opposing bill 594 believe that it violates the Constitution, opposing freedom of religion. They believe that because there is a separation of church and state, the 10 Commandments should not be brought into public schools. Additionally, those same people believe that displaying the 10 Commandments in each classroom will persuade kids to change their religion, therefore taking that privilege away from their parents.
State Bill 594 is still in the early stages, seeing as it was introduced on Jan. 21, 2025. However, a hearing was conducted on March 25, 2025 and the bill is currently pending in the Senate Education Committee.
