Texas House approves bill to require Ten Commandments in every classroom, adds amendment

AUSTIN (Nexstar) – The Texas House gave final approval to legislation requiring public schools to place the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Sunday’s 82-46 vote to approve Senate Bill 10 came after lawmakers approved an amendment to clarify that the state, not school districts, will defend and pay for legal challenges to the law.

The amendment by State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin was accepted with no opposition, without taking a record vote. Since the legislation was amended, the bill now heads back to the Senate for review, one step closer to advancing to Governor Greg Abbott for approval.

The amendment highlights the likelihood that SB 10, if it becomes law, would face legal challenges. Louisiana has a similar law that is currently on hold after a federal judge found that it was unconstitutional. The legal arguments could eventually land before the U.S. Supreme Court.

SB 10 won preliminary approval Saturday. State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, who is currently studying to become a minister, pointed out that having legislators vote on the bill over the weekend amounted to breaking one of the commandments. The Fourth Commandment states “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

Talarico, in an exchange with bill sponsor State Rep. Candy Noble, R-Lucas, noted that part of keeping the Sabbath holy is not working on the Sabbath. Noble agreed with that concept.

“The Ten Commandments come from Judaism. What day is the Jewish Sabbath?” Talarico asked.

“It is on Saturday,” Noble answered

“And what day is it today?” Talarico asked.

“It is Saturday,” Noble said. “Here we are.”

Talarico played a key role in pushing the vote on the legislation to the weekend. When SB 10 first reached the House floor on Wednesday, he called a point of order, a procedural move to block the bill. He eventually withdrew the point of order, but Noble motioned to send the bill back to committee, delaying when the bill could be considered on the floor.

When Talarico asked if Noble would be willing to postpone the vote until Monday, she declined, pointing out that the vote would have already happened if Talarico had not blocked the vote earlier in the week. The House faces a Tuesday deadline to approve Senate bills, with the end of the legislative session on June 2.

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.

Noble reiterated ideas that she brought up in Wednesday’s debate, saying that the Ten Commandments are foundational to the American educational and judicial systems, arguing the commandments were cited favorably in more than 500 court cases.

“Nothing is more deep rooted in the fabric of our American tradition of education than the Ten Commandments. The very way we treat others as a society come from the principles found in the Ten Commandments,” Noble said during the bill layout Saturday on the House floor.

During Wednesday’s debate, opponents raised concern that requiring the Ten Commandments in the classroom amounts to religious indoctrination. Some of the debate Saturday included Democrats trying to add amendments to include representation for other faiths. Those amendments all failed to be adopted.

The vote on third and final reading on SB 10 happened Sunday, a point that Talarico and Noble discussed in their exchange before Saturday’s vote.

“Christian Sabbath is what day?” Talarico asked.

“Sunday, in honor of the day that Jesus rose from the dead,” Noble said.

“And we’re scheduled to give this bill a final vote on what day of the week?” Talarico asked.

“It’s ironic, isn’t it?” Noble responded.