Austin, Texas – Republican legislators have proposed two bills meant to include religious components into classroom activities, therefore changing the public education scene in Texas. Should the proposed law be passed, it would force public school displays of the Ten Commandments and provide clauses allowing for Bible reading sessions during class hours.
Senator Phil King, the chief sponsor of the Ten Commandments bill, asserted that these biblical laws are foundational to understanding American history and law.
“The Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story,” Sen. Phil King, the lead author of the bill, said in a statement Monday sent to NBC News, adding that “if our students don’t know the Ten Commandments, they will never understand the foundation for much of American history and law.”
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Along with King’s proposal, Senator Mayes Middleton presented an additional bill aiming at institutionalizing a time for prayer and scripture reading in educational environments. The proposal would let school systems apply procedures for religious readings, subject to parental permission. Middleton emphasized the efforts of notable people like Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and President Donald Trump to give prayer top priority in public schools.
Although this legislative push is not without precedent, it follows past failed initiatives, most notably a 2023 effort hampered by time restrictions. Lieutenant Governor Patrick has said, however, that adopting this law is top concern for the current session. Other states, including Louisiana, which recently ordered the Ten Commandments’ display in public school classrooms—a measure now under court challenges over constitutional issues—follow similar actions in this regard.
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Opponents contend that such rules violate First Amendment rights, therefore protecting people from government-imposed religion. Following parents’ objections to the state’s mandate, claiming it forced particular religious beliefs on their children, a prominent case in Louisiana is under consideration by a federal appeals court.
A Supreme Court decision supporting a high school coach’s freedom to pray on the field after game, however, gives the Texas bills hope. Citing this ruling as a supporting precedent, Senator King said the measures fit historical norms and First Amendment interpretation.
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Despite the hope of its supporters, the law has generated a strong discussion on the division of religion and state. Critics, including some Republican legislators, warn against the possible division such rules could cause. Active opposing the Louisiana law, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) contends that public schools should remain neutral venues welcoming of all religions.
“Public schools are not Sunday schools, and today’s vote ensures that our public school classrooms will remain spaces where all students, regardless of their faith, feel welcomed,” Samantha Chapman, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager, said in a statement.
Opposition is strong even as the proposals find traction in the Texas Senate, especially among Democrats who contend that legislative attention should rather be on fully funding public education instead of stirring religious controversies. Senator Sarah Eckhardt attacked the laws as “divisive” and against the fundamental educational goal of public schools.
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Texas has a Republican majority in the legislature, hence the legislation has great possibility of passing. Still, as discussions go on, the ramifications of these laws will probably be felt outside of the state and help to create conditions for yet another Supreme Court review of the careful balance between religion and public education in America.
