Texas invoice requiring Ten Commandments in public colleges strikes nearer to governor’s desk
A invoice that will require the Ten Commandments to be posted in each public college classroom in Texas cleared a key legislative hurdle Sunday and is nearer to heading to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval.
The state Home of Representatives handed a model of the Ten Commandments invoice in a 82-46 vote following every week of debate and delay, when Democratic lawmakers tried to introduce amendments, together with permitting particular person college districts to choose in and for the Ten Commandments to be in numerous languages.
After the Home handed the invoice with an modification on Sunday — requiring the state, slightly than college districts, to defend any authorized challenges to the legislation — it should now return to the Senate for approval. Advocates of the legislation celebrated the win after they initially assumed the invoice would proceed on to the governor as soon as handed by the Home.
Abbott’s workplace didn’t instantly remark about its passage, however the Republican governor is predicted to signal it into legislation if it reaches his desk. The state Senate accredited a earlier model of the laws in March on a 20-11 party-line vote.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had beforehand mentioned that the success of the invoice, often known as SB 10, was amongst his priorities for the present session, which ends subsequent month, after related laws failed in 2023 due to time constraints.
“By putting the Ten Commandments in our public college school rooms, we guarantee our college students obtain the identical foundational ethical compass as our state and nation’s forefathers,” Patrick mentioned.
Nonetheless, Texas’ Ten Commandments laws is more likely to face constitutional opposition because it has in Louisiana, the place a GOP-drafted legislation was signed final 12 months by Gov. Jeff Landry and was rapidly challenged by a coalition of oldsters of various spiritual beliefs.
Below Texas’ invoice, all public elementary or secondary colleges should “show in a conspicuous place in every classroom of the varsity a sturdy poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.” The shows have to be at the very least 16 inches broad and 20 inches tall, and embrace the textual content of the Ten Commandments as written within the invoice.
As soon as signed into legislation, colleges “should settle for any supply of privately donated” shows or might use district funds, beginning within the 2025-26 college 12 months.
The laws doesn’t have an enforcement mechanism, and it’s unclear what might occur to colleges or particular person lecturers who refuse to conform. In line with a state Home committee evaluation, the invoice itself additionally “doesn’t expressly create a felony offense.”
State Sen. Phil King, the lead writer of the invoice, beforehand mentioned he was introducing the laws as a result of “the Ten Commandments are a part of our Texas and American story.”
However state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat who’s Christian, objected to the invoice this week throughout an earlier vote, saying a show of such spiritual textual content might really feel exclusionary to non-Christian college students.
“Forcing our faith down their throats will not be love,” Talarico mentioned.
With Louisiana and most not too long ago Arkansas mandating the Ten Commandments in public colleges, authorized arguments over such legal guidelines might ultimately wind up once more earlier than the U.S. Supreme Courtroom, which in 1980 dominated that classroom shows of the Ten Commandments have been unconstitutional.
Louisiana has not totally applied its legislation as officers await a federal appeals court docket ruling on its constitutionality. In November, a decrease court docket decide concluded the state had not supplied “any constitutional technique to show the Ten Commandments.”
In the meantime, Texas Home lawmakers on Friday accredited one other religion-based invoice that will allow college districts to undertake insurance policies permitting for a interval of prayer and studying of the Bible or “different spiritual textual content” with parental consent. Abbott can be anticipated to signal it into legislation.
Emily Witt, a spokeswoman for the Texas Freedom Community, a grassroots group that advocates for spiritual freedom, mentioned the wave of conservative-leaning laws throughout Texas and different states is a part of a wider “coordinated technique” to infuse the Bible in public college schooling.
“The message this sends to children is that they’re being informed their faith doesn’t matter and isn’t as necessary as this one,” Witt mentioned. “We fear that results in bullying and otherism — all issues in public colleges that we attempt to stop.”
CLARIFICATION (Might 25, 2025, 4:50 p.m. ET): This story was up to date after publication to make clear that the laws should return to the state Senate for approval, slightly than on to the governor, as supporters of the legislation had initially indicated in a press launch.
