Texas lawmakers are pushing bills to allow prayer and the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. While proponents argue that these measures promote moral values, critics contend they violate the separation of church and state and discriminate against other religious groups.
Bills filed in the Texas Senate are once again attempting to introduce prayer and the Ten Commandments into public school classrooms. These topics, prayer in school and the display of the Ten Commandments , are once again before lawmakers in Austin. This marks the second time State Sen. Phil King (R-Weatherford) has pursued a Ten Commandments mandate. In the previous session, it passed the Senate but ultimately failed in the House.
King has also filed SB 11, which would allow students, with parental consent, to opt into a period dedicated to prayer and reading from the Bible. 'We spend so much time doing things. A short period of time for prayer or reading the Bible is not a bad thing,' said State Rep. David Spiller (R-Jacksboro). He recently filed similar prayer legislation in the Texas House. While there are currently no restrictions preventing students from offering a quiet prayer to themselves before a test or between classes, Spiller's bill formalizes this time. Spiller's bill would empower school districts to vote on establishing a period of prayer for students and staff. Like King's proposal in the Senate, student participation would require parental consent. 'If this is done like a zero period or some other period where you are not required to be, that might pass muster so long as that element of coercion is not present,' said Josh Blackman, a constitutional law professor at the South Texas College of Law. Blackman suggested there's a possibility that a Ten Commandments law could withstand legal scrutiny. 'The case law in the Supreme Court has changed over the last several decades. Recently, Louisiana passed a law providing for the posting of the Ten Commandments. A federal court held that that was unconstitutional. That ruling is now on appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals,' he said. Critics argue that a Ten Commandments requirement would create inequality for other religious groups. However, Blackman pointed out that a 2022 case in the U.S. Supreme Court upholding a Washington state law allowing prayer at football games could embolden Texas lawmakers supporting the proposal. 'The court held that you can have prayer for a football game, and if students don’t like it, they can, you know, look away and avert their eyes,' Blackman said. Spiller believes the Ten Commandments are essential in the classroom. 'I hate to say it, but I think our public schools have gotten away. Many, not all, have gotten away from those important moral principles and values,' he said. No hearing date has been set for either bill. With the House leaning more conservatively this session compared to the last, the bills could potentially pass both chambers. However, if they do pass, they are undoubtedly facing legal challenges
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