Latest news with #SB10
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Civil rights groups to sue Texas over Ten Commandments bill
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The ACLU and other civil rights groups announced plans Thursday to challenge a newly passed Texas bill requiring public schools display a copy of the Ten Commandments in each classroom, according to press releases. That bill, Senate Bill 10, passed in the Texas House of Representatives on May 25 with an amendment, as KXAN previously reported. The Senate concurred with the House's changes on May 28. The final bill sent to Governor Greg Abbott clarified that Texas, not its school boards, will be responsible for any legal challenges. Abbott has yet to sign the bill into law, but he said that he would sign it in a May 1 social media post. The ACLU will be joined in its challenge by Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. SB 10 author Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, argued in his statement of intent that the law could survive a legal challenge under the US Supreme Court's (SCOTUS) 2022 ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. Read more: What the Supreme Court's football coach ruling means for schools and prayer 'For 200 years, the Ten Commandments were displayed in public buildings and classrooms across America,' wrote King in his bill analysis. 'The Court has … provided a test that considers whether a governmental display of religious content comports with America's history and tradition. Now that the legal landscape has changed, it is time for Texas to pass SB 10 and restore the history and tradition of the Ten Commandments in our state and our nation.' ACLU Staff Attorney Chloe Kempf said that SCOTUS's ruling in Stone v. Graham, which struck down a similar Kentucky law, still applies. 'The Supreme Court has never overruled it. And in fact, in more recent years, including in the Kennedy case, the Supreme Court has affirmed that there is a special constitutional concern when we are indoctrinating students in school with religious messages,' she said. 'The Kennedy case … really has no relationship to a bill that requires a religious text to be posted in schools.' A similar law in Louisiana was to take effect in 2025, but was blocked by a US District Court ruling. It is currently before a US Fifth Circuit Appeals Court. That law did not require school districts to fund the posters with taxpayer money. SB 10 allows such an expense but doesn't require it. 'The result in either case is the same — you have children being religiously coerced in schools, and you have the government favoring a very specific religious translation above all others. So I would say the outcome is unconstitutional in either way,' Kempf said. SB 10 requires schools use specific text for their Ten Commandments posters, which Kempf identified as an additional problem with it. 'It's a Protestant translation … we heard from a lot of concerned Texas families that even in their religious traditions … that do recognize the 10 Commandments, their versions are meaningfully different than the version that the Texas Legislature chose here,' she said. Earlier in the legislative session, 166 faith leaders in Texas signed a letter of opposition against SB 10. 'The responsibility for religious education belongs to families, houses of worship, and other religious institutions — not the government,' the letter reads. 'The government oversteps its authority when it dictates an official state-approved version of any religious text.' In fact, the biblical books of Exodus and Deuteronomy contain a total of three different versions of the Ten Commandments. These passages also vary by religion and translation: The King James Version (KJV) of Exodus 20:13 reads, 'thou shall not kill,' while the New International Version of the same verse reads 'you shall not murder.' SB 10's version is also found on a monument outside the Texas State Capitol. A legal challenge over that monument went before the US Supreme Court in 2005, with SCOTUS ruling in Texas' favor, allowing the monument to remain as it constituted a passive display. 'The placement of the Ten Commandments monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds is a far more passive use of those texts than was the case in Stone, where the text confronted elementary school students every day,' wrote former Justice William Rehnquist in the court's opinion. The monument's and SB 10's take on the Ten Commandments appear to be cut-down from the King James Version of the Christian Bible, removing some text and changing 'thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife … nor his ox, nor his ass,…' to 'thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife … nor his cattle, … .' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas House approves bill requiring Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools
The Texas House of Representatives passed a Republican bill on Sunday requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every schoolroom across the Lone Star State, bringing it a step closer to becoming law. After a week of debate, in which Democrats attempted to introduce amendments enabling individual districts to opt out and to list the commandments in languages other than English, the bill, known as SB 10, was finally voted through by 82 votes to 46. The legislation will next be voted on in the state Senate and, should it pass, will be sent to Governor Greg Abbott's desk for his signature. The Senate waved through an earlier draft in a 20-11 party-line vote. The bill demands that all public elementary and high schools 'display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments,' which must be no smaller than 16 inches by 20 inches and carry the complete text of the decalogue, as emblazoned on the stone tablets held aloft by Moses on Mount Sinai in the Book of Exodus, according to scripture. If it becomes law, all Texas schools will be required to accept any appropriate displays that are privately donated from the 2025/26 academic year onwards. It is not clear what the consequences might be for a headteacher or teacher who refuses to comply. Still, a House committee's analysis concluded that the bill itself 'does not expressly create a criminal offense.' 'By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country's forefathers,' Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said. 'The Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story,' said state Senator Phil King, the bill's co-lead author. State Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat and a Christian, has opposed it on behalf of the state's non-Christian students by saying simply: 'Forcing our religion down their throats is not love.' Emily Witt of the Texas Freedom Network, which advocates for religious freedom, said the wave of conservative-led legislation across Texas and other southern states is part of a wider 'coordinated strategy' to instill the Bible within public school education. 'The message this sends to kids is that they're being told their religion doesn't matter and isn't as important as this one,' she said. 'We worry that leads to bullying and other-ism – all things in public schools that we try to prevent.' Equivalent bills in Louisiana and Arkansas ordering public displays of the Commandments have been met with legal complaints that could end in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in 1980 that such mandates were unconstitutional.
NBC News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Texas bill to require Ten Commandments in public schools moves closer to governor's desk
A bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom in Texas cleared a key legislative hurdle Sunday and is closer to heading to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval. The state House of Representatives passed a version of the Ten Commandments bill in a 82-46 vote following a week of debate and delay, when Democratic lawmakers attempted to introduce amendments, including allowing individual school districts to opt in and for the Ten Commandments to be in different languages. After the House passed the bill with an amendment on Sunday — requiring the state, rather than school districts, to defend any legal challenges to the law — it must now return to the Senate for approval. Advocates of the law celebrated the win after they initially assumed the bill would proceed directly to the governor once passed by the House. Abbott's office did not immediately comment about its passage, but the Republican governor is expected to sign it into law if it reaches his desk. The state Senate approved a previous version of the legislation in March on a 20-11 party-line vote. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said the success of the bill, known as SB 10, was among his priorities for the current session, which ends next month, after similar legislation failed in 2023 because of time constraints. 'By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country's forefathers,' Patrick said. Still, Texas' Ten Commandments legislation is likely to face constitutional opposition, as it has in Louisiana, where a GOP-drafted law was signed last year by Gov. Jeff Landry and was quickly challenged by a coalition of parents of different religious beliefs. Under Texas' bill, all public elementary or secondary schools would have to 'display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.' The displays would have to be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall and include the text of the Ten Commandments as written in the bill. Once the bill is signed into law, schools 'must accept any offer of privately donated' displays or may use district funds, starting in the 2025-26 school year. The legislation does not have an enforcement mechanism, and it's unclear what might happen to schools or individual teachers who refuse to comply. According to a state House committee analysis, the bill itself also 'does not expressly create a criminal offense.' State Sen. Phil King, the lead author of the bill, had said he was introducing the legislation because 'the Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story.' But state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat who is Christian, objected to the bill last week during an earlier vote, saying a display of such religious text may feel exclusionary to non-Christian students. 'Forcing our religion down their throats is not love,' Talarico said. With Louisiana and most recently Arkansas mandating the Ten Commandments in public schools, legal arguments over such laws could eventually wind up again before the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1980 ruled that classroom displays of the Ten Commandments were unconstitutional. Louisiana has not fully implemented its law as officials await a federal appeals court ruling on its constitutionality. In November, a lower court judge concluded the state had not offered 'any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments.' Meanwhile, Texas House members on Friday approved another religio n -based bill that would permit school districts to adopt policies allowing for a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or 'other religious text' with parental consent. Abbott is also expected to sign it into law. Emily Witt, a spokeswoman for the Texas Freedom Network, a grassroots group that advocates for religious freedom, said the wave of conservative-leaning legislation across Texas and other states is part of a wider 'coordinated strategy' to infuse the Bible in public school education. 'The message this sends to kids is that they're being told their religion doesn't matter and isn't as important as this one,' Witt said. 'We worry that leads to bullying and otherism — all things in public schools that we try to prevent.' CLARIFICATION (May 25, 2025, 4:50 p.m. ET): This article was updated after publication to clarify that the legislation must go back to the state Senate for approval, rather than directly to the governor, as supporters of the law had initially indicated in a news release.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas bill to require Ten Commandments in public schools moves closer to governor's desk
A bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom in Texas cleared a key legislative hurdle Sunday and is closer to heading to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval. The state House of Representatives passed a version of the Ten Commandments bill in a 82-46 vote following a week of debate and delay, when Democratic lawmakers attempted to introduce amendments, including allowing individual school districts to opt in and for the Ten Commandments to be in different languages. After the House passed the bill with an amendment on Sunday — requiring the state, rather than school districts, to defend any legal challenges to the law — it must now return to the Senate for approval. Advocates of the law celebrated the win after they initially assumed the bill would proceed directly to the governor once passed by the House. Abbott's office did not immediately comment about its passage, but the Republican governor is expected to sign it into law if it reaches his desk. The state Senate approved a previous version of the legislation in March on a 20-11 party-line vote. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said the success of the bill, known as SB 10, was among his priorities for the current session, which ends next month, after similar legislation failed in 2023 because of time constraints. 'By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country's forefathers,' Patrick said. Still, Texas' Ten Commandments legislation is likely to face constitutional opposition, as it has in Louisiana, where a GOP-drafted law was signed last year by Gov. Jeff Landry and was quickly challenged by a coalition of parents of different religious beliefs. Under Texas' bill, all public elementary or secondary schools would have to 'display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.' The displays would have to be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall and include the text of the Ten Commandments as written in the bill. Once the bill is signed into law, schools 'must accept any offer of privately donated' displays or may use district funds, starting in the 2025-26 school year. The legislation does not have an enforcement mechanism, and it's unclear what might happen to schools or individual teachers who refuse to comply. According to a state House committee analysis, the bill itself also 'does not expressly create a criminal offense.' State Sen. Phil King, the lead author of the bill, had said he was introducing the legislation because 'the Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story.' But state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat who is Christian, objected to the bill last week during an earlier vote, saying a display of such religious text may feel exclusionary to non-Christian students. 'Forcing our religion down their throats is not love,' Talarico said. With Louisiana and most recently Arkansas mandating the Ten Commandments in public schools, legal arguments over such laws could eventually wind up again before the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1980 ruled that classroom displays of the Ten Commandments were unconstitutional. Louisiana has not fully implemented its law as officials await a federal appeals court ruling on its constitutionality. In November, a lower court judge concluded the state had not offered 'any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments.' Meanwhile, Texas House members on Friday approved another religion-based bill that would permit school districts to adopt policies allowing for a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or 'other religious text' with parental consent. Abbott is also expected to sign it into law. Emily Witt, a spokeswoman for the Texas Freedom Network, a grassroots group that advocates for religious freedom, said the wave of conservative-leaning legislation across Texas and other states is part of a wider 'coordinated strategy' to infuse the Bible in public school education. 'The message this sends to kids is that they're being told their religion doesn't matter and isn't as important as this one,' Witt said. 'We worry that leads to bullying and otherism — all things in public schools that we try to prevent.' CLARIFICATION (May 25, 2025, 4:50 p.m. ET): This article was updated after publication to clarify that the legislation must go back to the state Senate for approval, rather than directly to the governor, as supporters of the law had initially indicated in a news release. This article was originally published on
CNBC
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CNBC
Texas bill requiring Ten Commandments in public schools headed to governor's desk
A bill that would require the Ten Commandments to be posted in every public school classroom in Texas cleared a key legislative hurdle Sunday and is poised to go to Gov. Greg Abbott for approval. The state House of Representatives passed a version of the Ten Commandments bill in a 82-46 vote following a week of debate and delay, when Democratic lawmakers attempted to introduce amendments. Those amendments, including allowing individual school districts to opt in and for the Ten Commandments to be in different languages, were voted down by a Republican majority. Abbott's office did not immediately comment about its passage, but the Republican governor is expected to sign it into law after the state Senate approved its version of the legislation in March on a 20-11 party-line vote. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had previously said that the success of the bill, known as SB 10, was among his priorities for the current session, which ends next month, after similar legislation failed in 2023 because of time constraints. "By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country's forefathers," Patrick said. Still, Texas' Ten Commandments legislation is likely to face constitutional opposition as it has in Louisiana, where a GOP-drafted law was signed last year by Gov. Jeff Landry and was quickly challenged by a coalition of parents of different religious beliefs. Under Texas' bill, all public elementary or secondary schools must "display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments." The displays must be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and include the text of the Ten Commandments as written in the bill. Once signed into law, schools "must accept any offer of privately donated" displays or may use district funds, starting in the 2025-26 school year. The legislation does not have an enforcement mechanism, and it's unclear what may happen to schools or individual teachers who refuse to comply. According to a state House committee analysis, the bill itself also "does not expressly create a criminal offense." State Sen. Phil King, the lead author of the bill, previously said he was introducing the legislation because "the Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story." But state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat who is Christian, objected to the bill this week during an earlier vote, saying a display of such religious text may feel exclusionary to non-Christian students. "Forcing our religion down their throats is not love," Talarico said. With Louisiana and most recently Arkansas mandating the Ten Commandments in public schools, legal arguments over such laws could eventually wind up again before the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1980 ruled that classroom displays of the Ten Commandments were unconstitutional. Louisiana has not fully implemented its law as officials await a federal appeals court ruling on its constitutionality. In November, a lower court judge concluded the state had not offered "any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments." Meanwhile, Texas House lawmakers on Friday approved another religion-based bill that would permit school districts to adopt policies allowing for a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or "other religious text" with parental consent. Abbott is also expected to sign it into law. Emily Witt, a spokeswoman for the Texas Freedom Network, a grassroots group that advocates for religious freedom, said the wave of conservative-leaning legislation across Texas and other states is part of a wider "coordinated strategy" to infuse the Bible in public school education. "The message this sends to kids is that they're being told their religion doesn't matter and isn't as important as this one," Witt said. "We worry that leads to bullying and otherism — all things in public schools that we try to prevent."
