Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Signs Bill Mandating Ten Commandments in Classrooms
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed legislation last week that mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms, beginning in September.
In the face of determined opposition from leftist activists, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 on June 21.
“Texas is where the American dream lives,” Abbott said in a press release. “Today, I signed critical legislation … that protects the safety of Texans and safeguards the individual freedoms that our great state was founded on.”
SB 10 establishes the exact rules and specifications for displaying the Commandments.
According to the bill via Lifestite News, “all public elementary and secondary schools must display a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous place in every classroom, starting in September with the 2025-2026 school year.
“The poster must be at least 16 inches wide by 20 inches tall, using a legible typeface, and use the English text found in the King James translation of the Bible, matching the language on the monument outside the Texas State Capitol.”
The bill’s passage has been met with a flurry of backlash and lawsuits from anti-religion activist groups who vow to undo the legislation in the courts.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has joined with ACLU of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation to launch a lawsuit challenging the bill on the grounds that the “blatantly unconstitutional” law violates “students’ and parents’ First Amendment rights.”
Texas joins two other states, Louisiana and Arkansas, that have passed similar laws. Anti-religion activists were successful in overturning Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law, with the court finding it unconstitutional. The Arkansas law is also embroiled in a contentious legal battle.
