RALEIGH — Richmond County’s delegate in the N.C. House of Representatives wants the national motto enshrined in both chambers of the General Assembly.
Rep. Ben Moss, R-Richmond, on Tuesday filed H.B. 215 which would require “In God We Trust” to be displayed above and behind the dais of the speaker of the House and president of the Senate.
“North Carolina is one state, and part of one nation under God,” Moss said in a statement. “Having our national motto, ‘In God We Trust,’ in the center of the House Chamber will serve as a constant reminder that with every vote we take, we do as an act of service to the Lord our God and to help advance His Kingdom in our elected capacity — and I believe strongly that this legislation will help retain our religious founding and our Nation’s identity.”
The bill calls for the displays to be paid for by funds gifted or donated by private individuals or entities for that purpose. If no private funds are gifted, the legislative services officer “may use funds available to cover any costs incurred from implementing the requirement.”
According to a press release, the bill was introduced in partnership with the U.S. Motto Action Committee, which has a goal of having the words displayed in all 100 counties across the state.
The press release states that the committee has installed more than 250 displays in 68 counties and 50 town halls across North Carolina.
In 2016, when Moss was an elected member of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners, the board approved displaying the motto on county buildings, including the Richmond County Judicial Center.
That same year, a similar proposal was withdrawn by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, according to the Cherokee One Feather.
According to the First Amendment Encyclopedia from the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, “In God We Trust” has been the national motto since 1956 and has been included on currency since the Civil War.
Although displaying the words on public buildings has been challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, numerous courts have upheld the displays, including the Middle District of North Carolina and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“Some defenders of the motto justify it on the ground that it is a form of what Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has called ‘ceremonial deism,’ that through constant repetition has largely lost (its) religious content,” reads the post from the Free Speech Center. “No longer religious in nature, the phrase has become, rather, a historical artifact, a public recognition of the role of religion in national life, and an expression of patriotism.”
However, opponents say it violates the separation of church and state.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has challenged the use of “In God We Trust” over the past three decades and argued for returning to the latin phrase “E Pluribus Unum,” which translates to “Out of many, one.”
In a 2019 press release opposing displays in Ohio schools, FFRF noted that a majority of the nation’s population is non-religious. The group says the phrase is exclusionary, especially to atheists and agnostics.
FFRF co-founder Anne Gaylor is quoted many times as saying the motto is inaccurate: “To be accurate it would have to read ‘In God Some Of Us Trust,’ and wouldn’t that be silly?”
Joining Moss as primary sponsors of the bill are Reps. Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort, Jeffrey McNeely, R-Iredell, and Frank Sossamon, R-Granville. The four other sponsors so far are Reps. George Cleveland, R-Onslow, Jake Johnson, R-Henderson, Donnie Loftis, R-Gaston, and Howard Penny, Harnett.
Legislative records show the bill has not yet had its first reading. After that, it will be assigned to a committee for further debate, according to Moss’ office.
Moss has been a primary sponsor of 23 bills filed so far this session.
