The Texas Senate passed a bill that would require public schools across the state to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
The fact that the legislation passed a key hurdle on Sunday means it is much closer to arriving on Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for approval. The passage of a version of the Ten Commandments bill passed in an 82-46 vote after lawmakers debated and delayed for a week.
Ten Commandments in Texas Public Schools
The disagreements were primarily voiced out by Democratic officials, who tried to introduce amendments to the bill. These include allowing individual school districts to opt in and for the Ten Commandments to be displayed in different languages.
Following the bill's passage in the House with an amendment on Sunday, which requires the state to defend any legal challenges to the law, it went to the Senate for approval. Advocates for the legislation celebrated after they initially assumed that it would go directly to Abbott's desk for approval, according to NBC News.
The governor's office did not immediately comment about the bill's passage but the Republican leader is expected to quickly sign the legislation once it reaches his desk. The development comes after lawmakers approved a previous version of the bill in March with a 20-11 party-line vote.
In a statement, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that the bill's success was one of his priorities for the current legislative session. This comes after similar legislation failed in 2023 after lawmakers suffered from time constraints.
The new bill is expected to be met by a court challenge as it could be seen as a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. State Rep. Vincent Perez argued in opposition of the bill, saying that posting religious texts without context does not teach children about history, the Houston Public Media reported.
Democrats Support Republican Majority
The bill, known as SB 10, received the support of a handful of Democratic lawmakers who crossed the aisle to join the Republican majority. The measure, if approved by the governor, will take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.
Republican state Rep. Candy Noble, a co-sponsor of the bill, said that the legislation focuses on looking at what is historically important to the United States, both educationally and judicially. There are similar laws in place in Arkansas and Louisiana.
However, the latter's legislation is currently on hold after a federal judge found that the law was "unconstitutional on its face." These are part of broader efforts by conservative-led states to put religion in public schools, as per the Associated Press.
