A bill introduced in the Texas House for the upcoming session aims to require schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
Filed last month by incoming Representative Mike Olcott (R-Parker County), H.B. 1009 would mandate schools to post a “durable poster or framed copy” of the Ten Commandments in each classroom.
The posters would need to be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, with text in a size and typeface that is legible from anywhere in the classroom for someone with average vision.
The bill also allows schools that do not meet these requirements to accept donations or use public funds to purchase the posters.
A nearly identical bill was introduced in the state Senate last year, where it passed without any Democratic votes in favor. It was then sent to the House, where it advanced out of committee but was not put to a vote.
In June, Louisiana became the first state to require the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. According to the Associated Press, Louisiana did not use state funds for the posters, as they were financed through private donations.
Louisiana’s law also permits the display of other historical documents, such as the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the Northwest Ordinance, in K-12 schools.
Critics of the Louisiana law argue that it may make children with different beliefs feel unsafe and hinder their ability to receive an equal education.
In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a similar law in Kentucky unconstitutional, stating it violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits Congress from “making any law respecting an establishment of religion.” The Court found that the law served a religious purpose without any secular intent.
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