TEXAS SCHOOLS TO DISPLAY TEN COMMANDMENTS IN EVERY CLASSROOM

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREGG ABBOTT HAS SIGNED SENATE BILL 10 INTO LAW, REQUIRING ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOMS IN TEXAS TO DISPLAY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. THE LAW, WHICH GOES INTO EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2025, MANDATES THAT EACH CLASSROOM DISPLAY A DURABLE POSTER OR FRAMED COPY OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT MEETS SPECIFIC SIZE AND LEGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

DETAILS OF THE LAW - *Display Requirements*: The poster or framed copy must be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and include only the text of the Ten Commandments. - *Funding*: Schools are allowed to use district funds to purchase the posters or copies, and must accept privately donated posters or copies that meet the requirements. - *Effective Date*: The law will go into effect on September 1, 2025, and applies to all public elementary and secondary schools in Texas ¹ ². REACTION TO THE LAW - *Support*: Proponents of the law argue that the Ten Commandments have historical value and are core to U.S. history, and that displaying them in classrooms will promote moral values and combat societal problems. - *Opposition*: Critics argue that the law violates the principle of separation of church and state, and could send a message of exclusion to students of other faiths or those who don't practice a religion ³. *CONTROVERSY AND POTENTIAL CHALLENGES* - *Legal Challenges*: The American Civil Liberties Union and other civil liberty organizations have vowed to sue Texas over the law, arguing that it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. - *Precedent*: A similar law in Louisiana was struck down by a federal court in June 2025, but the state is appealing the decision