Rep. Jim Olsen (R-Roland) filed HB 2962 on Friday for the upcoming legislative session. It would require the Ten Commandments from Christianity to be visible and have a minimum dimension of 16 by 20 inches.

Olsen states he hopes the presence of the Ten Commandments “would inspire our young people during their formative years and encourage them to lead moral, principled lives.” 

Rep. Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma City) took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice his concern. “State-endorsed religious indoctrination is unconstitutional, idolatrous, violates parents’ rights, and contradicts the teachings of the deity he claims to worship,” Dollens stated.

This is the latest effort by Oklahoma elected leaders to establish Judeo-Christian values in schools.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is notorious for his push for PragerU, an online pseudo-educational video service with conservative viewpoints.

In December, a new voucher program went into effect which grants tax credits to families wishing to send their children to private schools. 

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Ten Commandments in schools would violate U.S. Constitution

The subject of state-supported displays of religious material has been the source of controversy in the past. The legislature authorized the construction of a Ten Commandments monument in 2009. Three years later there was a failed attempt from a group to have a satanic statue erected next to the commandment monument. The monument was removed in 2015. 

State Question 790 aimed to remove language in the state constitution that prevents public funds from being used to support religion or benefit religious institutions. It was on the ballot in 2016 and failed to pass. 

As far back as 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Stone v Graham that requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools was unconstitutional. 

Olsen’s Problematic History

Olsen has made a spectacle of himself on the House floor in previous years.

Last year, he pushed for citizen open carry at the State Fair following a shooting that occurred during the fair in Oklahoma City. In March 2023, he cited the Bible to support his stance on corporal punishment in schools. In 2021 he faced heat for comparing efforts to end abortion to the fight against slavery.

The legislative session begins on Feb. 5 and ends on May 31. The final day to submit bills for consideration is Jan. 18.