AUSTIN, Texas (LifeSiteNews) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation last week mandating the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms across the state.
Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 on June 21 despite opposition from leftist groups challenging the legislation in court.
“Texas is where the American dream lives,” Abbott said in a press release. “Today, I signed critical legislation … that protects the safety of Texans and safeguards the individual freedoms that our great state was founded on.”
According to SB 10, all public elementary and secondary schools must display a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous place in every classroom, starting in September with the 2025-2026 school year.
The poster must be at least 16 inches wide by 20 inches tall, using a legible typeface, and use the English text found in the King James translation of the Bible, matching the language on the monument outside the Texas State Capitol.
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Abbott’s signing of the bill comes as secular groups argue that it violates the separation of church and state and therefore the First Amendment.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) announced a lawsuit along with the ACLU of Texas, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
The groups claim that the legislation is “blatantly unconstitutional” and are attempting “to stop this violation of students’ and parents’ First Amendment rights.”
Louisiana and Arkansas have passed similar laws. A federal appeals court ruled that the Louisiana measure was unconstitutional. The Arkansas law is also being challenged in federal court.
