Texas will soon require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments under a new law signed by Governor Greg Abbott, making it the largest state in the nation to enact such a mandate.
The law, announced Saturday, is expected to face legal challenges from critics who argue it violates the constitutional separation of church and state. A similar law in Louisiana was blocked just a day earlier when a federal appeals court ruled it unconstitutional. Arkansas has also passed a comparable law that is currently being challenged in court.
The Texas legislation easily passed through the Republican-controlled state House and Senate before the legislative session ended on June 2.
“The focus of this bill is to look at what is historically important to our nation educationally and judicially,” said Republican State Representative Candy Noble, a co-sponsor of the bill.
The law requires public schools to display a specific English version of the Ten Commandments on a poster or framed copy measuring 16 by 20 inches in every classroom. However, translations and interpretations of the Ten Commandments often vary across faiths, denominations, and languages.
Governor Abbott also signed a separate bill allowing school districts to provide students and staff with a daily voluntary period for prayer or reading a religious text during school hours.
Supporters of the new laws argue that the Ten Commandments are a foundational element of the United States’ judicial and educational systems and should be publicly displayed in schools.
Opponents, including some Christian and Jewish faith leaders, say the measures infringe on religious freedom and risk alienating students of other faiths or no faith. In a letter opposing the bill, dozens of religious leaders pointed out that Texas public schools serve nearly six million students, representing diverse religious backgrounds.
The new law is part of a broader trend among conservative-led states pushing for greater religious expression in public schools, though such measures continue to spark constitutional debates and legal battles.
