Alabama lawmakers have approved a slew of bills that would expand the use of Christian texts in public schools, and allow chaplains to volunteer as school counsellors.

Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter described the bills as "common sense" while members of the Democratic caucus condemned the legislation as "a waste of taxpayer money" that "won't bring down the cost of eggs".

Alabama joins at least 20 states that have considered legislation in 2025 that would mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools or state buildings, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural.

The sponsor of Alabama's Ten Commandments bill, Representative Mark Gidley, said that he did not want to promote one particular religion.

Instead, he said the bill recognises the Ten Commandments, which appear in the Old Testament of the Bible, as "one of the principal foundational documents that guided the ideas that created this great country".

The legislation said that the display should be supplemented by materials that emphasise its historical context.

In 2024, Louisiana became the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom in public schools and colleges.

The law was blocked by a federal judge last year who ruled the law had an "overtly religious" purpose.

The push for the Ten Commandments in public places is far from new in Alabama.

But in past weeks, the bills have drawn vocal protest from religious leaders around the state who believe the slate of religious legislation will violate the First Amendment and create a hostile environment for religious minorities in Alabama public schools.

Steve Silberman, a rabbi who has worked at a synagogue in Mobile for 35 years, testified at a March committee hearing that he is concerned the Ten Commandments bill "unfairly sidelines Alabamians who may have diverse views of religious traditions."

On Thursday, many legislators came forward in support of the bill.

"We see so much of our Western civilisation crumbling because we have forsaken the roots and foundations upon which we were built," Republican Representative Ernie Yarbrough said.