Texas Law Requires Ten Commandments In Every Classroom Now
Texas was the first state to erect the Ten Commandments on the Capitol Grounds in their state capital. Now Texas will lead the country getting the ten Commandments in every clasroom, says
Eugene Delgaudio, president of Public Advocate.
Senate Bill 10, by Republican Sen. Phil King of Weatherford, would require the Ten Commandments be displayed on a donated poster sized at least 16 by 20 inches come September, when most new state laws go into effect. Gov. Greg Abbott signed it in late June, the day after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found a similar law in Louisiana was "plainly unconstitutional." The court ruled that requiring schools to post the Ten Commandments would cause an "irreparable deprivation" of First Amendment rights. An Arkansas judge ruled similarly in a separate case.
Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments and teachings of Christianity broadly are vital to understanding U.S. history, a controversial message that has resurged in recent years as part of a broader national movement to undermine the long-held interpretation of church-state separation. Texas GOP lawmakers have passed a number of laws in recent years to further codify their conservative religious views, a trend encouraged and celebrated by Christian leaders.
"This issue is likely to get to the United States Supreme Court," U.S. District Judge Fred Biery told a San Antonio courtroom prior to opening arguments in the Texas case.
Earlier this year
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 into law Saturday, making Texas the latest state to require public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
The new law mandates that all public schools hang a "durable poster or framed copy" of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous place in each classroom. The displays must be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, using text large enough to look be read by someone with average vision from anywhere in the classroom.
The bill passed the Texas Senate on March 19 with a 20-11 vote and cleared the House on May 25 with an 82-46 vote. After the House added an amendment, the Senate gave final approval on May 28 with a 21-10 vote, sending it to Abbott's desk.