This legislative session, some Texas lawmakers are again looking to inject religion into public schools. Senate Bill 10 would require every classroom to display the Ten Commandments, while Senate Bill 11 would create a daily period for prayer and religious readings. Both bills, championed by conservative legislators, have reignited debates over religious freedom, the separation of church and state, and the First Amendment.
Supporters argue the measures uphold America’s Christian heritage, but critics warn they promote government-backed religion and will likely face legal challenges.
“These bills really favor one religion over all others,” said Emily Witt, senior communications and media strategist for Texas Freedom Network. “Public schools should be neutral spaces, not places where lawmakers push their personal beliefs.”
SB 10 isn’t new. A similar bill failed last session, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has made passing it a priority. The bill would require a 16-by-20-inch framed copy of the Ten Commandments in every Texas public school classroom, with text large enough to be read from anywhere in the room. Twenty Republican senators authored the bill.
The bill’s supporters argue that the commandments are a foundational legal and moral document. But opponents say this is a blatant endorsement of religion in a government-funded space, violating the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
“It’s a clear violation,” Witt said. “We’ve seen the courts strike down similar laws before, and there’s no reason to think this one will be different.”
“Are all religions going to be respected, or will students who don’t join in be made to feel like outsiders?” – Texas Freedom Network’s Emily Witt
SB 11, also authored by 20 Republican senators, would allow school districts to set aside time for students and staff to engage in prayer or read religious texts, as long as parents opt in. While participation would technically be voluntary, critics argue that it still creates an environment where non-Christian students could feel isolated or pressured to participate.
“Who is prayer time for?” Witt asked. “Are all religions going to be respected, or will students who don’t join in be made to feel like outsiders?”
While Texas lawmakers push for more religion in schools, some in European democracies are looking in with concern. Charles Conte, a secularism advocate at Ligue de l’Enseignement, says SB 10 and SB 11 would be unthinkable in France, where a strict separation of church and state has been law since 1905.
“This is not conceivable in France,” Conte said in an interview with the Chronicle conducted in French. “Where do these Ten Commandments come from?”
For Conte, the bills aren’t just unconstitutional; they reflect an attempt to create a theocratic state.
“This text [the Ten Commandments] establishes a theocracy, a government by a clerical caste,” he said. “A theocratic charter cannot be imposed on a free people – not in the USA, not in France, nor in any democracy.”
With a conservative-majority Legislature, both SB 10 and SB 11 have strong political backing. But if they pass, lawsuits are inevitable. The Supreme Court has ruled against similar efforts before, including the 1980 Stone v. Graham case, which struck down a Kentucky law requiring Ten Commandments displays in classrooms.
“They know they’ll be sued,” Witt said. “The bill even includes provisions for the attorney general to take on legal cases on behalf of school districts. And who pays for that? Texas taxpayers.”
As Texas lawmakers push forward, the fight over school prayer and religious displays isn’t just a policy debate – it’s a test of the boundaries between faith and government.
This article appears in March 14 • 2025.
