All public school classrooms in Texas are now required to display the Ten Commandments, making Texas the largest state to enact such a mandate.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 into law on Saturday, mandating schools post a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, effective Sept. 1.
“Texas is where the American dream lives,” Abbott said in a statement. “Today, I signed critical legislation passed in the 89th Regular Legislative Session that protects the safety of Texans and safeguards the individual freedoms that our great state was founded on. Working with the Texas Legislature, we will keep Texas the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
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Abbott also signed companion bills, SB 11 and SB 965, allowing school districts to provide a voluntary daily period for students and staff to pray or read religious texts during school hours.
Proponents say the measures, backed by conservative groups, align with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings such as Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which upheld a football coach’s right to pray on the field after games.
“This is a Texas-sized blessing that the Ten Commandments will now be displayed for students to see, much like the Ten Commandments Monument at the Texas Capitol and in the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values. “Governor Abbott’ fulfilled the law’ by signing SB 10 today, making it clear that there will be a Ten Commandments displayed in every Texas public school classroom.”
Matt Krause of First Liberty Institute added: “Displaying the Ten Commandments and national motto and allowing students and teachers to express their faith in Texas classrooms is consistent with Supreme Court precedent that recognizes the country’s religious heritage and the best of the nation’s history and traditions.”
Opponents, including civil liberties groups and faith leaders, argue the laws infringe on religious freedom, particularly for Texas’ nearly 6 million students across 9,100 public schools, many of whom follow diverse faiths.
Similar laws in Louisiana and Arkansas have been struck down or challenged in federal courts, with Louisiana’s law ruled unconstitutional by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week.
Texas Attorney General Liz Murrell has vowed to defend the law, stating she would appeal any adverse rulings to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. Abbott, who, as attorney general in 2005, successfully defended a Ten Commandments monument at the Texas Capitol before the Supreme Court, remains a staunch supporter of the measures.
In a separate decision, Abbott vetoed a controversial bill late Sunday that would have banned consumable THC products like delta-8 and delta-9, citing potential harm to Texas’ $8 billion hemp industry and job losses. Instead, he called for tighter regulations and announced a special legislative session on July 21 to address the issue.
