Ten Commandments in classrooms among 334 laws signed by Gov. Abbott on Saturday
AUSTIN, TX - JUNE 27: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott attends a press conference celebrating the U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows a Ten Commandments monument to stand outside the Texas State Capitol June 27, 2005 in Austin, Texas. A sharply
AUSTIN - Among 334 bills signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday is the legislation mandating the Ten Commandments be posted in every public classroom in Texas.
The governor’s office released a summary of some critical pieces of legislation signed on Saturday.
Ten Commandments in Texas Classrooms
Senate Bill 10 requires every public school classroom to display the Christian Ten Commandments. The bill headed to Abbott’s desk on May 28 with a final Senate vote of 28-3.
The law requires a "durable poster or framed copy" of the Ten Commandments be posted in each classroom. The copies would need to be 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."
The bill faced some opposition before passage. Amendments allowing school boards to vote on their involvement or allowing other codes of ethics from other religions were shot down in the House.
Court Blocks Louisiana Ten Commandments Law
Dig deeper:
On Friday, an identical bill passed in Louisiana’s 2024 legislative session was found by a court to be unconstitutional.
The law had been scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 of this year, but a lawsuit by a group of public school parents delayed the action, claiming a violation of the First Amendment.
In November 2024, a U.S. District Court called the law unconstitutional and barred the state from enforcing it. On Friday, that ruling was upheld by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Friday’s ruling on the Louisiana law is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
What's next:
SB 10 is expected to be challenged in the courts. If so, the challenge is likely to appear in front of the Supreme Court.
Texas Bills Signed on Saturday
Here are the summaries for the other 15 critical laws passed on Saturday:
House Bill 18 (Vandeaver/Perry) enhances access to rural health care through the establishment and administration of certain programs and services.
House Bill 27 (K. King/Flores) requires all Texas public high school students to complete a one-half credit course in personal financial literacy.
House Bill 35 (Thompson/West) enhances first responder mental health access by establishing the first responder peer network for fire and EMS personnel.
House Bill 40 (Landgraf/Hughes) expands the jurisdiction of Texas business courts.
House Bill 1397 (Harris/Middleton) transfers the care and custody of the William B. Travis "Victory or Death" Letter, the Texas Constitution, and the Texas Declaration of Independence to the State Preservation Board.
House Bill 3000 (King/Perry) creates a grant program for rural ambulance services to ensure adequate ambulance services in qualified counties.
Senate Bill 11 (Middleton/Spiller) allows schools to adopt a policy allowing students and employees to participate in daily, voluntary period of prayer and reading of religious texts.
Senate Bill 17 (Hefner/Kolkhorst) protects Texas land from purchase by foreign adversaries.
Senate Bill 31 (Hughes/Geren) ensures physicians can respond appropriately to protect the life of the mother in medical emergencies and reinforces the intent of existing abortion restrictions.
Senate Bill 34 (Sparks/King) enhances wildfire preparation and management through targeted funding for volunteer fire departments and the creation of a statewide firefighting equipment database.
Senate Bill 36 (Parker/Hefner) streamlines homeland security activities of certain entities, including the establishment and operations of the Homeland Security Division in the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Senate Bill 75 (Hall/Wilson) creates the Grid Security Commission to evaluate and provide recommendations to address all hazards to the ERCOT grid.
Senate Bill 667 (Hughes/Barry) prohibits state retirement systems from investing in certain Chinese-affiliated entities and implements a divestment plan for current assets.
Senate Bill 835 (Paxton/Leach), known as Trey’s Law, makes nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements void and unenforceable if they prohibit or limit a person's ability to disclose an act of sexual abuse.
Senate Bill 1300 (Flores/Cook) deters organized retail theft by enhancing penalties and making it easier to prosecute the crime.
To see the full list of the 334 bills signed into law by Abbott on Saturday, click here.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Gov. Greg Abbott's office and previous FOX reporting.