Bill requiring Ten Commandments be placed in every Texas classroom sent back to committee
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Senate Bill 10, aptly numbered for its requirement on public schools to place the Ten Commandments in every single public classroom, was sent back to committee after Democrats and Republicans debated the separation of Church and State on the House floor Wednesday evening.
The Republican-backed bill would require every public classroom display a poster or framed copy of the Christian doctrine that is at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall. No school would be exempt from this bill, although the bill does not appear to have any enforcement on schools that do not comply.
State Rep. Candy Noble, R – Lucas, opening up the debate on the House floor, said the Ten Commandments are foundational to the American educational and judicial systems, arguing the commandments were cited favorably in more than 500 court cases.
“In these days of classroom mayhem, it is time to return to these truths to the fabric of our education system. Respect authority, respect others, don’t steal, tell the truth, don’t kill, keep your word,” Noble said from the front mic on the chamber floor.
Concerns about First Amendment rights
State Rep. James Talarico, D – Austin, who is currently studying to become a minister, spoke against this bill from the back microphone. During the debate, Talarico brought up the First Amendment, which prevents the government from establishing a state religion. Talarico read a quote from James Madison, the author of the amendment.
“In 1819 he wrote, ‘The civil government functions with complete success by the total separation of the Church from the State.’ Do you agree with James Madison,” Talarico asked to Noble.
“I’m going to tell you that the Founding Fathers quoted the Bible themselves so frequently that it is clear it had a significant, substantive influence,” Noble responded.
The two then started debating if the display of the Ten Commandments in the classroom would be indoctrinating students. “Any time a teacher has a rainbow outside their classroom we have politicians in this body crying, ‘education not indoctrination,’ but now you’re bringing a bill that literally forces religious indoctrination into our classrooms,” Talarico said.
Noble interrupted him saying she completely disagreed with the assertion. Before calling a point of order against the bill, Talarico questioned the text in the Ten Commandments and its impact on students who are not Christian.
“How do you think it makes a Hindu student feel to have a poster in every classroom that says, ‘Thou shall not worship any God before me?'” Talarico questioned.
“Again, if they have come to the United States and they are living here — they’re born here, they’re citizens — then they would love, probably enjoy, celebrating what made our forefathers so different from every other nation in the world,” Noble responded.
What happens next?
Talarico’s point of order was issued on the grounds that the bill’s witness list was inaccurate. The witness list just states who registered to testify when the bill was in committee. The list shows who was registered in favor, in opposition, or neutral on the bill.
The point of order was ultimately withdrawn and Noble motioned to send the bill back to committee. The bill will likely have to be voted out of committee by this Saturday to meet a deadline next Tuesday for Senate bills to be passed out of the House.
