A proposal in Texas to require public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments cleared in a key vote in the state legislature.

“The Republican-controlled House gave its preliminary approval with a final vote expected in the next few days,” the Associated Press stated.

Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill.

From the Associated Press:

Two other states, Louisiana and Arkansas, have similar laws, but Louisiana’s is on hold after a federal judge found that it was “ unconstitutional on its face.”

Those measures are among efforts, mainly in conservative-led states, to insert religion into public schools. The vote in Texas came after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively ended a publicly funded Catholic charter school in Oklahoma on Thursday with a 4-4 tie following a string of high court decisions in recent years that have allowed public funds to flow to religious entities.

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Texas lawmakers also have passed and sent to Abbott a measure that allows school districts to provide students and staff a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours. Abbott is expected to sign it.

“We should be encouraging our students to read and study their Bible every day,” Republican state Rep. Brent Money said. “Our kids in our public schools need prayer, need Bible reading, more now than they ever have.”

Supporters of requiring the Ten Commandments in classrooms say they are part of the foundation of the United States’ judicial and educational systems and should be displayed.

“SB 10: Displaying of the Ten Commandments in Classrooms. Instilling good values and morals in children is essential. The Ten Commandments offer foundational principles that help guide young minds to become respectful, responsible, and productive members of society,” the Texas House Republican Caucus said.

Per NBC News:

The state House of Representatives passed a version of the Ten Commandments bill in a 82-46 vote following a week of debate and delay, when Democratic lawmakers attempted to introduce amendments, including allowing individual school districts to opt in and for the Ten Commandments to be in different languages.

After the House passed the bill with an amendment on Sunday — requiring the state, rather than school districts, to defend any legal challenges to the law — it must now return to the Senate for approval. Advocates of the law celebrated the win after they initially assumed the bill would proceed directly to the governor once passed by the House.

Abbott’s office did not immediately comment about its passage, but the Republican governor is expected to sign it into law if it reaches his desk. The state Senate approved a previous version of the legislation in March on a 20-11 party-line vote.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had said the success of the bill, known as SB 10, was among his priorities for the current session, which ends next month, after similar legislation failed in 2023 because of time constraints.

“By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country’s forefathers,” Patrick said.

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