Public schools and universities would be required to display 鈥淚n God We Trust鈥� in every classroom, according to a bill that is advancing in the House of Delegates.

While the legislation, , permits the motto plaques to be donated, it doesn鈥檛 come with any funding 鈥� meaning that, should it pass, cash-strapped and could be on the hook for paying for the signage.

Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, said on Thursday during a House Judiciary Committee meeting that there could be 鈥減otentially thousands or tens of thousands鈥� of classrooms in the state where the national motto must be shown.

鈥淚t brings into question who鈥檚 going to pay for it and how much is it going to cost?鈥� he questioned.

Potential cost for implementing the bill wasn鈥檛 shared with committee members.

According to the measure, 鈥淚n God We Trust鈥� would have to be displayed on a poster or in a frame along with the United States flag. It would have to be displayed in a 鈥渃onspicuous place.鈥�

The Senate鈥檚 of the legislation 鈥� passed in January 鈥� had required a motto plaque in every classroom, but the House Education Committee the bill so that it would just require the signage in a main building of the school.

On Thursday, Del. Geoff Foster, R-Putnam, put forth an in the House Judiciary Committee to change the bill back to the Senate鈥檚 intent 鈥� requiring the signage in every classroom.

Travis Mollahan, associate vice president of government relations at West Virginia University, told lawmakers that it would require the signage in more than 700 rooms on the university鈥檚 campuses.

The university, which has faced a multi-million dollar budget shortfall, of faculty positions and must also a campus carry bill passed by state lawmakers.

Foster said WVU should be able to dip into its state鈥檚 appropriations to purchase the signage.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 too much to ask without the [sign] size limitation that we have this posted in every classroom,鈥� he said.

Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, raised concerns that requiring the signage in every classroom could violate the First Amendment.

鈥淭he bill has gone from the state mandating an area to the state mandating it into a physical classroom that students can鈥檛 avoid,鈥� Fluharty said. 鈥淢aybe we can have an amendment where members of this body can read the Constitution a lot more often because it just made this bill null in its effect.鈥�

Foster pushed back on that, saying the country鈥檚 motto was already circulated through schools while kids learned about currency.

The committee passed the bill onto the House floor for consideration.

This is the second time the Senate has attempted to pass the bill through 鈥� the House didn鈥檛 take it up for a vote last year. Sen. Mike Azinger, R-Wood, is lead sponsor of the measure.

Del. David Kelly, R-Tyler, who approved the bill, cautioned lawmakers 鈥渢o be careful how far down this road we go鈥� in regards to pushing patriotism onto students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not what we have on our wall about God that鈥檚 going to make a difference in anyone鈥檚 lives. It鈥檚 how we live before them that鈥檚 going to make a difference in their lives,鈥� he said.

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com. Follow West Virginia Watch on and .