The Texas House of Representatives voted to approve a bill mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in every public-school classroom.
The Texas House voted 88-49 on May 24 to give its initial approval to the bill. It granted final approval to an amended version by an 82-46 vote the next day.
Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, pointed out the initial vote in the House was being held on the Jewish Sabbath and the final vote on the traditional Christian day of worship, in spite of the commandment to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
“Is that ironic or what?” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Candy Noble, R-Lucas, responded.
Talarico, a seminary student, asked Noble, “Would you be willing to postpone your bill so that we’re not breaking the Ten Commandments by working on the Jewish or Christian sabbath?”
Noble said lawmakers were under a time “crunch.” She observed the House already would have voted on the measure several days earlier if Talarico had not raised a point of order that delayed its consideration.
Talarico later posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: “Texas Republicans just passed a bill forcing every teacher to post the Ten Commandments in their classroom. They passed it on the Sabbath … breaking the 4th Commandment. Maybe they should try following the Ten Commandments before mandating them.”
Emphasis on ‘history and tradition’
Noble, a member of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, stressed the bill is “about honoring our historic educational and judicial heritage.”
“The displaying of the Ten Commandments in our Texas classrooms will bring back the historic tradition of recognizing America’s foundational heritage in both our educational and our judicial systems and remind students of the importance of this cornerstone of American and Texas law,” she said.
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She cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, in which the court established a “history and tradition” test to determine if government actions violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
“Nothing is more deep-rooted in the fabric of our American tradition of education than the Ten Commandments,” Noble said.
The bill stipulated the exact wording of the Ten Commandments—an abridged version of Exodus 20:2-17 from the King James Version of the Bible.
Jews, Catholics and Protestants number the commandments differently, and their wording varies.
Noble said the prescribed wording of the Ten Commandments included in the bill replicates the words inscribed in a monument near the Texas Capitol.
“This monument and the words on it have already been approved and upheld by the Supreme Court in a 2005 case, so the wording won’t need to be subject to a new court case objection,” she said.
Still needs final Senate approval
The final amended version of the House bill stipulated the state will be responsible for legal fees if a local school district is sued over the Ten Commandments display.
The amended version must go back to the Senate for final approval, since it differs from what the Senate approved 20-11 in March.
SB 10, sponsored by Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, requires each public school classroom to display a poster at least 16 by 20 inches with the prescribed wording of the Ten Commandments.
If the amended bill passes the Senate, it advances to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it into law.
A federal court ruled unconstitutional a similar bill in Louisiana, saying it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The state is appealing that decision.
Earlier in the session, Texas lawmakers approved a bill that allows school districts to set aside a prayer or religious study period in school.
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