Latest news with #TenCommandments
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to sign Ten Commandments bill after Senate approval
A Texas bill that would order the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms was advanced by the state Senate on Wednesday, sending the legislation to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk after the House of Representatives passed an amended version Sunday. The Senate passed the GOP-drafted Senate Bill 10 in March along party lines. Despite debate and attempts to delay the bill's progress in the House in recent days, a Democratic lawmaker's amendment that requires the state, rather than school districts, to defend any legal challenges to the law was approved on Sunday. Such a change forced the bill back to the Senate for approval with only days left in the current legislative session. With that approval in place, Abbott, a Republican, is expected to sign the bill. His spokesman referred a request for comment to what Abbott posted on X earlier this month: "Let's get this bill to my desk. I'll make it law." Texas, the second-largest state with more than 5 million students enrolled in public schools, would follow Louisiana and most recently Arkansas in passing legislation requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms. But like Louisiana, Texas could face a barrage of legal challenges over the law's constitutionality. Louisiana has not fully implemented its legislation after a coalition of parents of different faiths filed a federal lawsuit just days after the bill was signed by Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican. A judge in November sided with those parents when he concluded that the state had not offered "any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments." Louisiana officials appealed, but a ruling has not been issued. Now, with other states passing their own laws, the arguments could eventually wind up again before the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1980 ruled that classroom displays of the Ten Commandments were unconstitutional. But a wave of new laws and mandates in states, particularly in the South, having begun to test the bounds of what may be legally permissible when it comes to religion in public schools. 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 by 20 inches 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. State Sen. Phil King, the lead author of the bill, has said he believes the legislation stands up to scrutiny following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that found a former Washington state high school football coach had a right to pray on the field immediately after games. The ruling by the conservative-majority court took a different approach by examining "historical practices and understandings" to interpret whether the First Amendment was being violated. "Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has reversed a previous erroneous decision, what was taken from our students can now be rightfully restored," King said in a statement Wednesday. "I look forward to having the Ten Commandments, a historical document foundational to our nation's history and character, back in schools across Texas." In arguments against the bill during debate, state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat and a Christian, said the specific posting of the Ten Commandments would give the appearance that the state is favoring one religion over others to the detriment of non-Christian students. He also questioned if state lawmakers had ever broken any of the commandments themselves. Other Democrats and critics asked why parents and school districts could not have a choice in whether to allow the Ten Commandments in classrooms, when some Republicans have been vocal about wanting parents to decide what books and topics are permissible in schools. "Families across Texas believe deeply in faith, but they also believe in freedom," Rocío Fierro-Pérez, the political director of the Texas Freedom Network, which has opposed the Ten Commandments legislation, said in a statement. "Freedom to raise their kids according to their own values. Freedom from government interference in personal beliefs. That's what's really under attack here." But the bill isn't the only religious-based one to win approval this legislative session, after Texas lawmakers passed a bill that would permit school districts to adopt policies allowing for a period of prayer in schools and the reading of the Bible or "other religious text" with parental consent. Abbott is also expected to sign it into law. This article was originally published on
NBC News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to sign Ten Commandments bill after Senate approval
A Texas bill that would order the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms was advanced by the state Senate on Wednesday, sending the legislation to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk after the House of Representatives passed an amended version Sunday. The Senate previously passed the GOP-drafted Senate Bill 10 in March along party lines. Despite debate and attempts to delay the bill's progress in the House in recent days, a Democratic lawmaker's amendment that requires the state, rather than school districts, to defend any legal challenges to the law was approved on Sunday. Such a change forced the bill back to the Senate for approval with only days left in the current legislative session. With that approval in place, Abbott, a Republican, is expected to sign the bill. His spokesman referred a request for comment to what Abbott posted on X earlier this month: "Let's get this bill to my desk. I'll make it law." Texas, the second-largest state in the country with more than 5 million students enrolled in public schools, would follow Louisiana and most recently, Arkansas, which have their own requirements for the Ten Commandments in classrooms. But like Louisiana, Texas could face a barrage of legal challenges over the law's constitutionality. Louisiana has not fully implemented its legislation after a coalition of parents of different faiths filed a federal lawsuit just days after the bill was signed by Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican. A judge in November sided with those parents when he concluded the state had not offered "any constitutional way to display the Ten Commandments." Louisiana officials appealed, but a ruling has not been issued. Now, with other states passing their own laws, the arguments could eventually wind up again before the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1980 ruled that classroom displays of the Ten Commandments were unconstitutional. But a wave of new laws and mandates in states, particularly in the South, having begun to test the bounds of what may be legally permissible when it comes to religion in public schools. 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. State Sen. Phil King, the lead author of the bill, has said he believes the legislation stands up to scrutiny following a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that found a former Washington state high school football coach had a right to pray on the field immediately after games. The ruling by the conservative-majority court took a different approach by examining "historical practices and understandings" to interpret whether the First Amendment was being violated. "The legislation is in accord with the history and traditions of our state and nation," King previously said, adding that students will "appreciate the role of the Ten Commandments in our heritage." In arguments against the bill during debate, state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat who is Christian, said the specific posting of the Ten Commandments would give the appearance that the state is favoring one religion over others to the detriment of non-Christian students. He also questioned if state lawmakers had ever broken any of the commandments themselves. Other Democrats asked why parents and school districts could not have a choice in whether to allow the Ten Commandments in classrooms, when some Republicans have been vocal about wanting parents to decide what books and topics are permissible in schools. The bill isn't the only religious-based one to win approval this legislative session, after Texas lawmakers passed legislation that would permit school districts to adopt policies allowing for a period of prayer in schools and reading of the Bible or "other religious text" with parental consent. Abbott is also expected to sign it into law.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Editorial: Bible lesson in Austin: Texas Ten Commandments bill is lawsuit-bait
The Republican-run Texas House of Representatives has passed a bill mandating the placing of a minimum 16-by-20-inch framed display of the Ten Commandments in each public school classroom in the state. The measure will now go to the GOP Senate, which is expected to pass it after signing off on an earlier version of the legislation and then to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. But the real audience of the law are the nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. The bill could not have been better designed to violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause; as a law school practice problem, it would have been considered a little ham-fisted. State legislators and Abbott's administration are practically salivating over the prospect of the matter getting into court, where they can defend their godliness against the heathens trying to prevent the good people from exercising their faith. This is a twisted view of the language of the First Amendment that takes it to be not a firewall between church and state but a shackling of the state's ability to regulate religious expression, even when it is being mandated. Even if they lose in court — and they really should, quickly — Texas GOP policymakers still win. A court loss gives them the ability to campaign and fundraise off the fact that they were foiled by 'liberal judges' who will be framed as taking the commandments out of the classroom as opposed to reasonably blocking their inclusion in the first place. They're also counting on, frankly, editorials much like this one, as they take scolding from civil society as the marker of a job well done. It's a good racket. There is some irony that the lawmakers working on the bill with preliminary votes on both Saturday and Sunday, the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sabbath, violated the commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy. That's just one more indication that this isn't about the genuine exercise of religious belief, but about the amassing of power, using the government to signal that one ideology isn't not only protected but dominant and waging the never-ending culture war that the modern Republican Party has taken upon itself to wage incessantly. We have to wonder what this legislature is neglecting in spending its limited time and energy on these inane and performative fights. They certainly seem to be less concerned with the very real threat that the Trump administration wants to subjugate significant aspects of state control and cut the government programs that the health and safety of Texans depend on. How focused are students going to be in the classroom if and when the federal government cuts SNAP to the bone and lets some of those kids go hungry? If Texas lawmakers are so worried about K-12 education, perhaps they should instead focus on the fact that more than half of students are below grade level in math and nearly half in reading, remaining below pre-pandemic levels. Having the Ten Commandments prominently displayed in classrooms is not going to do all that much when students are having a hard time figuring out what the words mean. ___
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ten Commandments quiz: How many of these 7 questions can you answer correctly?
Texas lawmakers were poised Tuesday to pass legislation requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. 'Nothing is more deep rooted in the fabric of our American tradition of education than the Ten Commandments,' said state Rep. Cathy Noble of Lucas as the legislature debated the bill. How much do you know about the Ten Commandments? Take our quiz to find out:
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
GOP Lawmaker Defends Legalizing 'Sawed-Off' Shotguns: 'We Just Don't Have That Kind of Gangland-Style Shooting These Days'
Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1596 on Tuesday morning, a measure that removes short-barrel firearms — commonly known as sawed-off shotguns — from the state's prohibited weapons list. Republican Rep. Richard Hayes of Hickory Creek dismissed any potential threat posed by the gun, Fox 7 reported. "We just don't have that kind of gangland-style shooting these days with short-barrel firearms," Hayes said during floor discussions. Opponents of the bill were quick to cite the 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas. A 17-year-old student killed eight students, two teachers, and injured 13 others, allegedly with a short-barrel shotgun that belonged to his father. "We have shootings that vastly exceed what we once had ... we've never had a greater epidemic of constant shootings than we have today," said Democratic Rep. John Bryant told Hayes. Under current federal law, short-barrel rifles and shotguns—defined as having barrels shorter than 16 inches and 18 inches respectively—are legal if registered with a background check and a $200 fee. SB 1596 would align state law with these federal regulations. The bill now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott, who will decide whether to sign it into law. "Think about the irony. You can have a handgun, you can have a long gun, but you can't have a long gun with a short barrel," Hayes said, questioning the logic of the specific ban on short barrel guns, which are easier to conceal and more difficult to control than longer-barreled shotguns. "I'm not thinking about the irony," Bryant retorted. "I'm thinking about all those people who got shot." "That was a legally owned gun. If it's a legally owned gun and someone commits a heinous offense," Hayes put his hands up and shrugged, adding, "What can you do?" In the same session, Texas House members passed legislation requiring public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, the Texas Senate moved to ban cannabis with a bill lawmakers say will protect children. With Abbott's signature, each of the three measures will take effect in September. Originally published on Latin Times
