Senate files bill that would require the Ten Commandments be displayed in Texas public schools

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Monday, a group of Texas Senators introduced a bill that would require the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas public schools. The bill is filed as Senate Bill 10. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick previously indicated that the lowest bill numbers indicate the top priorities for the Senate this session. 

“The Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story,” said Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, the lead author of the bill, in a statement. He added, “If our students don’t know the Ten Commandments, they will never understand the foundation for much of American history and law.”

King and other proponents of SB 10 argue that displaying the Ten Commandments in schools reinstates religious liberty in Texas and reflects the state’s history and traditions. King cited the presence of the Ten Commandments monument on the Texas Capitol grounds as an example of those traditions.

Opponents emphasize the historic separation of church and state, concerned that the bill would impose religious beliefs on students. 

“There should be a strong separation between church and state,” said Sen. Sarah Eckhardt’s office in a statement. The office added that the Senate should focus on fully funding public schools and raising basic allotment rather than a politically divisive issue.  

The Ten Commandments were displayed in Texas public schools and buildings until 1980 when the Supreme Court ruled in Stone v. Graham that a Kentucky statute to display the Ten Commandments in every public classroom served no secular purpose and was plainly religious in nature. The discourse surrounding religion in schools shifted in 2022 when the Supreme Court ruled in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that restricted religious expression violated First Amendment rights. 

Currently, the legality remains unclear. A similar bill regarding Ten Commandments display was introduced in Louisiana but was shut down by a federal judge last November. The ruling deemed that requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public classrooms is “unconstitutional on its face,” citing concerns of religious coercion and violations of the First Amendment Establishment Clause. Texas could face a similar legal challenge if SB 10 is passed.

This legislation is not new to Texas. Last session, Senate Bill 1515 outlined a similar initiative to display the Ten Commandments in public classrooms. The bill passed in the Senate but missed passage in the House due to time constraints. With the bill higher on the list this year, the goal is for timing to not be an issue.

House bills filed by Republican Representatives David Spiller, Mitch Little and Mike Olcott all aim to require the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas schools. 

Legislation like this has previously met resistance from public education advocacy groups. The Texas American Federation of Teachers wrote in a statement last November that such measures threaten students’ freedom to learn without religious imposition. “This issue is more than legal – it’s about ensuring public schools are places of inclusion and respect for all beliefs that allow our students to thrive.”