> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Southern Brief: Southern States Just Won't Stop With the Ten Commandments Bills (short read) - URL: https://newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page/southern-brief-southern-states-just/ - Published: 2025-07-23T20:59:20.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-29T19:42:44.000Z - Description: And other news from around the South. - Author: Danny Cherry Jr. - Tags: Newsletter, #Migrated-1793302873443, #Import 2026-10-29 19:42 "It’s kind of like whack-a-mole for the other side... It’ll drive \[them\] crazy that they’ll have to divide their resources out in opposing this." That is a quote from [David Barton](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/christian-nationalist-religious-right-legislation-bills?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page). Mr. Barton is a historian... but kind of in the way your high friend repeating half-remembered details from a documentary is a historian. His 2012 book was pulled by his publisher because ["basic truths were just not there](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/08/09/158510648/publisher-pulls-controversial-thomas-jefferson-book-citing-loss-of-confidence?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page)," and according to a peer, his history writing is a joke. He's an OG proponent of the myth that the Founding Fathers intended to never have a wall between church and state. He believes America is a shining beacon in a Godless world gone dark from secularism, and that Christians should be at the helm of this kingdom. Barton's writing, though wildly inaccurate, is influential, and he is [one of the most dangerous men](https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/david-barton/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) in the country. Barton is considered the Religious Right's top historian, and over 40 years has built a multimillion-dollar media and lobbying empire, via his Texas-based group, [Wall Builders](https://wallbuilders.com/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page). He even has the ears of powerful politicians, like [House Speaker Mike Johnson](https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/03/david-barton-mike-johnson-texas-church-state-christianity/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page), who used Barton's guidance to pick his US House staffers. That quote I opened this story with comes from a [leaked conversation](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/christian-nationalist-religious-right-legislation-bills?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) between Barton and Christian Nationalist state legislators several years ago, where they were discussing how to best bombard their ideological opposition with so many religion-based bills in state legislatures across the country, that their opponents couldn't keep up. The strategy was called Project Blitz: a coordinated, “secret” scheme by religious groups across the country to infiltrate the public sector in order to merge church and state. The organizations involved shared ready-made bill templates so they could flood state legislatures with them. We've seen this strategy deployed against trans rights, hence the over [2400% increase](https://wherethereissmoke.substack.com/p/how-big-money-and-big-religion-are) in anti-trans bills from 2015 to about 2023\. I bring up Blitz and Barton because amongst the bills they were pushing hardest, was a bill requiring Ten Commandments in public schools. Project Blitz has gone underground but their Ten Commandments bill just seems to keep popping up. According to [The 74 Million](https://www.the74million.org/article/state-laws-requiring-ten-commandments-in-schools-are-the-product-of-a-far-right-bill-mill/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page), in 2025 there were 28 Ten Commandments bills in 18 state legislatures that were introduced, all with Barton's finger-prints on them. In dozens of instances the model legislation matched legislation pitched by Barton verbatim. In April 2025, Barton made an appearance in the Texas House education committee to testify in favor of forcing public schools to put the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The bill was later [signed into law](https://www.texastribune.org/2025/05/24/ten-commandments-texas-schools-senate-bill-10/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) by Greg Abbot, forcing the nearly 9,100 public schools in the state to comply by September 2025\. [Arkansas has passed a similar bill](https://www.kark.com/news/state-news/ten-commandments-in-god-we-trust-in-classrooms-is-now-arkansas-law/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page), along with a bill requiring *In God We Trust* in classrooms. This is a part of a broader attempt to turn kids into unwitting congregants, and public schools into Sunday schools. As I've previously reported: "This push for more religion in school comes on the heels of the '[parents’ rights movement](https://progressive.org/public-schools-advocate/two-visions-of-a-populist-education-system-bryant-20240610/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page),' which makes transgender people, 'wokeness,' and teachers deemed liberal scapegoats for all societal ills. This was [intentional](https://antigravitymagazine.com/feature/hostile-takeover/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) on the part of a handful of conservative and religious organizations. That’s why places such as [Texas](https://www.texastribune.org/2025/03/17/texas-christian-nationalists-legislature-school/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page), [Oklahoma](https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2024/06/20/oklahoma-religious-liberty-battleground-governor-kevin-stitt-aclu-bills/73909227007/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page), and Louisiana have seen a rise in bills meant to tear down the wall between church and state. Lawmakers in Louisiana, for example, have explicitly stated they want to expose kids to Christian morals through the public school system." In Texas, a lawmaker took it a step further and declared they were in the middle of a "[spiritual battle](https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/15/texas-legislature-christianity-church-state-separation/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page)." The legal grounds for which the religious right seems to think they can shoehorn religion into schools is due to the [*Kennedy V Bremerton*](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21-418%5Fi425.pdf?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) ruling. In 2022, the Christian Nationalist-captured Supreme Court ruled in favor of a high school coach who consistently coerced his players into prayer, despite having been told several times over the course of several years to stop. An appeals judge was blunt in saying that the decision was reached based on [misrepresented facts](https://www.vox.com/2022/6/27/23184848/supreme-court-kennedy-bremerton-school-football-coach-prayer-neil-gorsuch?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) coming from the plaintiffs. Despite that, the ruling further chipped away the church-state wall, and has been cited in several statehouses as [justification](https://wherethereissmoke.substack.com/p/how-citizens-are-fighting-back-against) for more religion in schools. As expected, lawsuits have been filed against [Texas](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/07/02/525523/four-civil-liberties-organizations-sue-texas-over-ten-commandments-display-law/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) and [Arkansas](https://arkansasadvocate.com/2025/06/11/arkansas-parents-file-lawsuit-over-state-law-requiring-ten-commandments-in-schools/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page), in an attempt to block their Ten Commandments laws. According to [Houston Public Media](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/religion/2025/07/02/525523/four-civil-liberties-organizations-sue-texas-over-ten-commandments-display-law/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page), on July 2nd, 16 Texas families of multiple religious (and non-religious) backgrounds filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Three of the four civil liberties groups representing the families previously sued (and won against) Louisiana; and are involved in the Arkansas lawsuit as well. Though Christian Nationalists in state legislatures think the *Kennedy* ruling will help them, there's a fundamental flaw in their reasoning. The *Kennedy* case, no matter how flawed the ruling, was about *personal* public displays of religion (like quiet prayer); not public displays like posters, that *all* students are required to see. In turn, state laws requiring Ten Commandments in classrooms keep losing lawsuits. On June 20th, the [ultra-conservative Fifth District court](https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/how-the-5th-circuit-is-dismantling-democracy/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) ruled that the Louisiana bill [violated the constitution](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/louisianas-ten-commandments-law-public-schools-blocked-federal-appeals-rcna189408?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page). It stands to reason that the results will be the same for Arkansas and Texas. But there's one caveat to what I've laid out above: the Religious Right has the Supreme Court of the United States on their side, which was captured over the course of decades due to backroom meddling by groups like the Federalist Society—a group which [five of the six current conservative Justices](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist%5FSociety?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) either are or were members of. Want to know how much it costs to buy a Supreme Court seat? Well at minimum, about [$540 million](https://wherethereissmoke.substack.com/p/how-big-money-and-big-religion-are)—that's how much was spent blocking the appointment of Merrick Garland, to eventually fast-track the appointment of Amy Coney Barret. The money—of what equals to an over billion-dollar shadow network—has gone to good use. Since Chief Justice John Roberts has taken the helm, the SCOTUS has ruled in favor of religious organizations [over 80% of the time](https://wherethereissmoke.substack.com/p/new-reporting-as-the-gop-sets-its) in oral arguments. [Advocates](https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5414315-ten-commandments-laws-supreme-court-texas-louisiana-arkansas-religion-in-schools/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page) for the Ten Commandments in school have already called on SCOTUS to weigh-in. But there's a bright spot to this continuing assault on church-state separation: in places like Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas—places people often write-off as Conservative hellscapes—people are fighting back, and in more cases than you'd think, [winning](https://wherethereissmoke.substack.com/p/how-citizens-are-fighting-back-against). --- **NEWS FROM AROUND THE SOUTH:** Politico: “[**Republicans Are Panicking Over the Virginia Governor’s Race**](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/23/virginia-governors-race-republicans-jonathan-martin-column-00468311?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page)**”** Radical Reports: “[**White Nationalists Building 'Whites Only Community' in Arkansas**](https://www.radicalreports.org/p/morning-briefing-white-nationalists-arkansas?utm%5Fsource=post-email-title&publication%5Fid=338491&post%5Fid=168650223&utm%5Fcampaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1wyww9&triedRedirect=true&utm%5Fmedium=email)**”** The Texas Observer: “[**The Texas GOP’s ‘Unprecedented,’ Risky Gerrymandering Scheme**](https://www.texasobserver.org/redistricting-plans-michael-li-interview-2025/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page)**”** Bolts Magazine: “[**Democrats in Southeast Virginia Endorse “Pro-Trump, Pro-ICE” Sheriff**](https://boltsmag.org/chesapeake-sheriff-election-democratic-endorsement-rosado/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page)” # Latest for New Southern Revolt. [REPORTING: As Louisiana’s Far-right Continues to Attack Public Libraries, Pro-library Activists in Lafayette Parish Net a Victory (short read) \*\*\*Short read: Though I’m a longform journalist, in-between publication of my heavily researched features—which take a while to write—I'll pop-in to provide short updates on what’s happening around Louisiana and the south.![](https://newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page/content/images/2026/10/e2ae494a-bed6-4fa2-90ec-d9dab03e09b8_256x256-4.png)New Southern RevoltDanny Cherry Jr.![](https://newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page/content/images/2026/10/853f803e-5a58-4aa3-847f-555d58e6579e_666x500-jpeg-1.jpg)](https://newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page/reporting-as-louisianas-far-right/) --- **(P.s., Please follow the New Southern Revolt** [**Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/newsouthernrevolt/?ref=newsouthernrevolt.mymagic.page)**! Also, please consider becoming a paying member, so I can grow my newsletter and add contributors! 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