Georgia governor signs Bible class bill

Students in Georgia’s public schools could begin to take Bible classes as soon as next year, under legislation Gov. Sonny Perdue signed into law on Thursday.

The law will make Georgia the first state to offer state-sanctioned elective classes on the Bible.

Perdue, a Republican who is up for re-election in the fall, also signed a bill Thursday that permits the display of the Ten Commandments at courthouses, an issue the Supreme Court recently ruled can raise thorny constitutional issues.

Critics question whether the measures blur the line between church and state.

National civil rights groups said they are waiting to see how the laws are implemented before deciding whether to challenge them in court.

“There could be constitutional problems,” said Jeremy Leaming, spokesman for the Washington D.C.-based Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

“But it could be some time before we know.”

The Bible is already incorporated into classes in Georgia and other states, and some local school districts have passed measures permitting Bible classes.

But education analysts say the law in Georgia is the first in which a state government has endorsed such courses.

A version of the Bible class measure was first unveiled by Democrats in the state Legislature. But Republicans, who control both the Senate and House, quickly offered their version, which ultimately passed.

Under the new law, elective classes on the Old Testament and New Testament may be taught to high school students. Local school systems will decide whether to teach the courses.

The plan gives the state Department of Education until February 2007 to craft curricula for the courses.