by Jorge Gomez • 3 minutes
Last year, Louisiana became the first state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public schools. Now, multiple states are considering similar legislation that would restore religious freedom and expression where it legally belongs.
Two bills introduced in the Texas Senate would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools and allow schools to designate a time for students and school employees to read the Bible.
State Sen. Phil King introduced SB 10, which states that schools “shall display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.”
“The Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story,” Sen. King said in a statement. “They are ingrained into who we are as a people and as a nation. Today, our students cry out for the moral clarity, for the statement of right and wrong that they represent. If our students don’t know the Ten Commandments, they will never understand the foundation for much of American history and law.”
Sen. King notes that the proposal is legally feasible because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, First Liberty’s case involving Coach Joe Kennedy.
“SB 10 follows the historic 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision which overturned a faulty legal precedent used since 1980 to prohibit these displays,” King added. “This legislation is in accord with the history and traditions of our state and nation. It will help ensure our students understand and appreciate the role of the Ten Commandments in our heritage, our system of law, and their impact throughout Western Civilization.”
Sen. Mayes Middleton also introduced SB 11, which gives school districts the option to “adopt a policy requiring every campus of the district or school to provide students and employees with an opportunity to participate in a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text on each school day.”
“I filed Senate Bill 11 to protect the freedom to pray in school,” Sen. Middleton wrote on X. “Our schools are not God-free zones. This bill restores prayer in our public schools…This legislation builds on the victory of the Coach Kennedy case in the US Supreme Court by protecting religious freedom in our schools.”
Today, I filed Senate Bill 11 to protect the freedom to pray in school, a priority of Lt. Governor @DanPatrick. Our schools are not God-free zones. This bill restores prayer in our public schools, which is also a top priority of President Trump. This legislation builds on the… pic.twitter.com/vZ3YEyZeRa
— Mayes Middleton (@mayes_middleton) February 10, 2025
The Texas Legislature considered a similar Ten Commandments proposal in 2023. The state Senate approved the bill, but the House did not vote on it by its legislative deadline, which prevented it from advancing. First Liberty testified in support of the bill.
Although the Ten Commandments legislation was stalled, Texas enacted a law giving public school districts the option to allow chaplains to serve as counselors in their schools.
The following states are currently considering similar bills to protect religious expression in public schools and strengthen religious liberty protections.
Ten Commandments & Bible Reading in Public Schools
In God We Trust in Public Schools
Volunteer Chaplains in Schools
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
No matter what anyone thinks about any particular proposed bill, the vast number of religious-freedom legislation being considered is evidence that First Liberty’s Supreme Court wins are bearing fruit.
For decades, public schools around the country misunderstood their obligations under the First Amendment. Many school board officials and administrators thought religious expression was forbidden on government property. Countless public employees, coaches, teachers and even students were wrongly told they had to keep their faith hidden. Religious symbols and messages were too often hidden and censored just because they happened to be on public property.
But thanks to recent Supreme Court victories, a seismic change to religious freedom law is taking place. After nearly 50 years of hostility toward public religious expression, state legislatures, courts, local governments are starting to correct the many wrongs that previous bad precedents that stifled religious expression. We’re witnessing incredible momentum for religious freedom across the country—and this is just the beginning.
 |
|
|
