In a major victory for conservative Christians, Texas Republicans have voted to pass a measure that would put the Ten Commandments on display in every public school classroom in the state, a decision that has already attracted the ire of leftist and anti-faith groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which threatened to sue in response to the legislation.
For context, on May 25, 2025, the Texas House passed Senate Bill 10 (SB10), a measure that will require the display of the Ten Commandments in all of the state’s public school classrooms. According to press accounts, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill into law by September 1, 2025, but backlash from leftist groups like the ACLU, along with House Democrats, has threatened its progress.
According to coverage from Houston Public Media, State Rep. Candy Noble (R-Lucas), who sponsored the bill in the House, argued that a 2005 Supreme Court case had already approved “this monument and the words on it,” arguing that the use of the Ten Commandments in a classroom could no longer be considered unconstitutional. She added, “So the wording won’t need to be subject to a new court case objection.”
In contrast, State Rep. Vincent Perez (D-El Paso) opposed the bill, saying, “Posting religious texts without context doesn’t teach history.” In addition, Rep. Perez argued that displaying the Ten Commandments in a classroom “risks promoting one religion over others, something our Constitution upholds.”
Moreover, the ACLU also vehemently opposed the bill, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional” in a statement released on May 29, 2025. Furthermore, an ACLU spokesperson argued that the bill was “prohibited by longstanding Supreme Court precedent,” referencing a case that ruled against “posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms.” However, according to coverage from CBN News, Matt Krause of the First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty firm, asserted that the bill was “completely Constitutional.”
Building on his point, Krause stated that placing the Ten Commandments on the wall in a public school classroom is “a great way to remind students of the foundations of American and Texas law.” He added, “First Liberty was grateful to support these important bills and looks forward to them being signed into law by Governor Abbott.” Supporting Krause’s argument, Sen. Phil King (R-TX) reportedly said, “For 200 years, the Ten Commandments were displayed in public buildings and classrooms across America.”
In addition, Sen. King said that the Court set the precedent for displaying the Ten Commandments in a classroom, which he described as “a governmental display of religious content [that] comports with America’s history and tradition.” King added, “Now that the legal landscape has changed, it is time for Texas to pass SB 10 and restore the history and tradition of the Ten Commandments in our state and our nation.”
On the other hand, ACLU staff attorney Chloe Kempf contended that a prior Supreme Court Case that ruled against displaying the Ten Commandments in schools still stands, saying, “The Supreme Court has never overruled it,” and adding that the Supreme Court “has affirmed that there is a special constitutional concern when we are indoctrinating students in school with religious messages.”
Watch coverage of the bill’s development:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video