Overview

• Senate Bill 11 took effect Sept. 1, allowing districts to set aside daily, voluntary periods for prayer or reading religious texts.
• In a Sept. 2 statement, the attorney general encouraged students to recite the Lord’s Prayer from the King James Bible and asked boards to move quickly to implement policies.
• The statute mandates parental consent for student participation and authorizes the attorney general to recommend implementation practices and represent districts in court.
• Civil-liberties groups and legal scholars say the push risks unconstitutional government promotion of religion in public schools, warning of potential coercion of nonparticipants.
• Separately, Paxton appealed a federal injunction that blocks the Ten Commandments display law in 11 districts and directed other districts to comply while the Fifth Circuit reviews the case.