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yesterday

Texas Poised to Require Ten Commandments Posters in Every Classroom

Civil liberties groups plan to sue Governor Abbott over the measure they say breaches the First Amendment.

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Overview

  • Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign Senate Bill 10 mandating a King James Bible–derived version of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms beginning September 1.
  • The law requires donated 16-by-20-inch posters and creates an official state iteration favored by many Baptists and evangelicals.
  • An amendment tasks Attorney General Ken Paxton with defending school districts at state expense against any legal challenges.
  • A coalition including the ACLU, ACLU of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation will file suit citing violations of the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses.
  • A federal court has already blocked a similar Louisiana law under the Stone v. Graham ruling, and critics warn SB 10 conflicts with Supreme Court precedent on religious displays in schools.