The Texas House of Representatives has advanced Senate Bill 10, which, if signed by Governor Greg Abbott, would require the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom.
The bill was passed Sunday with an 82-46 vote and will now return to the Senate for further consideration before reaching the governor’s desk.
SB 10 mandates that each classroom have a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a visible location, with text legible to anyone with average vision. Schools have the option to accept private donations or use district funds to purchase the displays.
An amendment added by the House stipulates that the state attorney general will defend the schools from any lawsuits related to the law, with litigation costs covered by taxpayers.
Rep. Candy Noble, R-Lucas, who led the effort to pass the bill, argued that it reflects values fundamental to American education and society. “’Nothing is more deep-rooted in the fabric of our American tradition of education than the Ten Commandments,’” she said during Saturday’s debate, which lasted over two and a half hours.
However, critics such as State Reps. Vince Perez, D-El Paso, and Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, raised concerns that a mandated display of the Ten Commandments could violate parental rights of students who practice other faiths.
Perez stated, “’Posting religious texts without context doesn’t teach history. It risks promoting one religion over others, something our Constitution forbids,’” and warned that “’If we adopt the original version of this bill, legal challenges are inevitable, and taxpayers will bear the expense.’”
The proposal closely resembles a Louisiana law passed last year, which was blocked by federal courts. Critics point to the 1980 Supreme Court ruling in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a Kentucky law for violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
However, some Republicans point to the 2022 Supreme Court ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which affirms a coach’s right to pray on a school field, as support for the constitutionality of Texas’ bill.
