Texas Governor Signs Ten Commandments Bill Into Law Amid National Debate
by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
AUSTIN, TX (Worthy News) – Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law Saturday a bill mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom across the state, a move that has sparked national debate over religious freedom and constitutional boundaries.
The new law, known as Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), requires all Texas public school classrooms to display a 16-by-20 inch poster featuring a specific version of the Ten Commandments. The posters must include only the text outlined in the legislation, with no additional language or similar religious displays permitted.
“It is incumbent on all of us to follow God’s law, and I think we would all be better off if we did,” said Rep. Candy Noble (R-Lucas), who carried the bill in the Texas House. Supporters argue that the Ten Commandments represent a cornerstone of U.S. and Texas legal traditions and that the measure reflects the nation’s historical values.
SB 10, authored by Sen. Phil King (R-Weatherford), passed the state Senate 28-3 and cleared the House 82-46 after vigorous debate. The law will take effect on September 1, 2025. Texas becomes the largest state to enact such a requirement, joining at least 15 other states where similar proposals have been introduced.
Advocates, including faith-based legal groups like First Liberty Institute and Texas Values, praised the legislation. “This is a Texas-sized blessing that the Ten Commandments will now be displayed for students to see, much like the Ten Commandments Monument at the Texas Capitol and in the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Texas Values President Jonathan Saenz.
The bill’s signing comes just days after a federal appeals court struck down a similar Louisiana law, ruling it violated the Constitution’s Establishment Clause, which prohibits government endorsement of religion. Critics, including the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom from Religion Foundation, have vowed to challenge the Texas law in court.
“S.B. 10 is blatantly unconstitutional. We will be working with Texas public school families to prepare a lawsuit to stop this violation of students’ and parents’ First Amendment rights,” the ACLU said in a statement, calling the measure “religiously coercive.”
Legal experts say the law will likely face an uphill battle in court. “The Supreme Court has never overturned its 1980 Stone v. Graham decision, which invalidated a nearly identical Kentucky law,” said Robert Tuttle, professor of religion and law at George Washington University. He noted that while recent rulings like Kennedy v. Bremerton School District have expanded religious expression rights for individuals, mandated religious displays in classrooms are another matter.
Opponents warn the law could marginalize students of other faiths or no faith, and unnecessarily inject religion into public education. “Public schools are not supposed to be Sunday school,” said Clay Robison, spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association.
The passage of SB 10 is part of a broader effort by Texas lawmakers to reintroduce religious elements into public education. Abbott also signed bills this week allowing time for prayer or Bible study in schools (SB 11) and protecting school employees who engage in religious expression while on duty (SB 965). In 2021, Texas passed a law requiring schools to display donated “In God We Trust” signs.
As the legal battles take shape, Texas’s move reflects a wider national conversation about the role of religion in public life and education — and the enduring debate over where to draw the line between church and state.
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