Require display of the state and national motto in schools
Summary
LB122 would have required each school board in Nebraska to prominently display both the national motto, “In God We Trust,” and the Nebraska state motto, “Equality Before the Law,” in every classroom or another prominent location in each school building. The display would have to be legible in English and placed on a poster or plaque at least eight and one-half by eleven inches in size, in a location where students can see and read it during the school day.
The bill also would have authorized school boards to accept contributions to help pay for the cost of implementing the display requirement. In practical terms, the measure would have imposed a new statewide mandate on public school districts regarding classroom or building signage, while allowing voluntary outside funding to offset expenses.
Impact
If enacted, LB122 would have amended Nebraska school law to create a new requirement for public school boards to display the U.S. national motto and the Nebraska state motto in schools. It would have affected school districts and school boards directly by adding a facilities/signage obligation, and it would have created a limited funding mechanism by permitting contributions to defray implementation costs. Because the bill was indefinitely postponed, no change to current law resulted.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no detailed discussion of support or opposition in the materials provided. The bill’s introduction and caption suggest a straightforward policy proposal focused on patriotic and civic display in schools, but the absence of debate or vote data makes the overall sentiment difficult to measure. Its final disposition of indefinitely postponed indicates it did not advance to enactment.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Based on the bill’s subject matter, likely areas of disagreement would have included whether schools should be required to display mottos, whether the national motto’s religious wording raises constitutional or separation-of-church-and-state concerns, and whether the mandate should be funded by school resources or outside contributions. However, the record here does not identify which lawmakers or stakeholders held those views.