In Louisiana, lawmakers passed a law that would require all public schools to display the 10 Commandments in classrooms. The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry last week, has drawn lots of legal challenges, but many conservative states are hoping to pass similar laws soon.
Texas lawmakers attempted to pass a similar bill last year, but failed to do so because of time constraints during the last legislative session. Senate Bill 1515 would’ve required public school classrooms to “display copies of the Ten Commandments that are at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and “in a size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom.” Texas Senate Democrats openly opposed the bill citing the need for separation of church and state, but many conservatives in the State Senate stated they believed that separation of church and state is a “false doctrine.”
This same premise, however, passed in the form of Senate Bill 763 which allowed unlicensed religious chaplains to counsel students in Texas public schools. This attack on the freedom of religion directly contradicts the rights of parents, students, and teachers and has set a dangerous precedent. On the bright side, the bill, which uses safety funds in order to pay for the chaplains, has been overwhelmingly rejected by Texas school districts as was previously reported by Texas AFT.
The freedom of students in Texas public schools is paramount to the success of our education system. If you’d like to reach out to your state senator or representative and voice your concerns, you can check who represents you and contact their office.