Story by Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
West Virginia public schools may soon be required to display the national motto "In God We Trust" if a bill passed by the state Senate this week becomes law.
The bill, introduced by Republican Sen. Mike Azinger, passed Monday and is now heading to the state's House of Delegates.
If passed there, it heads to the governor's desk.
Azinger said he wants to give kids in schools something to look up to and let them know it’s OK to “say God” in school.
“We know there’s a lot of kids that have problems at home, tough times at home that we don’t know anything about,” Azinger said, speaking on the Senate floor. “Maybe they’ll look up one day and say, ‘In God We Trust’ and know they can put their hope in God.”
The bill calls for a "durable poster" or "framed copy" of the motto to be displayed "in a conspicuous place." Public colleges and universities are included in the bill, as well as K-12 schools.
Under the proposed law, the displays must be in every building and contain images of the U.S. and state flags. They cannot depict any other words, images or information. They must be either be donated or purchased from private donations.
Bill opposition
Critics including the state's American Civil Liberties Union oppose the bill because they say government and religion should be separated, ABC 13 News reported.
"We know this is something that's easy for folks to vote for. We know it's something that they'll get attacked for voting against," ACLU Advocacy Director Eli Baumwell told the outlet.
"We understand that it's the national motto, but it's also something that makes a lot of people who are not religious feel very uncomfortable."
States that passed similar laws
Mississippi was the first state to pass a law mandating “In God We Trust” be displayed in public schools back in 2001. Similar laws have been passed in states including Kentucky, Louisiana, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.
Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a law making “In God We Trust” the official U.S. national motto July 30, 1956, two years after pushing to have the phrase “under God” inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance.
“It was adopted during a time of disunity in America, at a time that unity was needed,” Azinger said Monday. “And I think that’s where we are in America in many ways.”
Contributing: Associated Press
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Public schools in West Virginia may soon be required to display 'In God We Trust' in a 'conspicuous place'