Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton doubled down on the implementation of the state’s Ten Commandments law, issuing a formal legal advisory on the subject.
The legal advisory urges school districts to comply with Senate Bill 10, noting that eleven districts have chosen to challenge the law. “A federal judge in San Antonio has temporarily halted SB 10’s enforceability only in the eleven districts that are parties to the litigation. All other school districts in Texas are currently required to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms in accordance with state law,” the advisory says.
While districts are not required to purchase the displays, they must “accept and
display any privately donated poster or framed copy” that meets the requirements described in the law.
“The Ten Commandments are indisputably a cornerstone of America’s moral and legal heritage. Our founders drew upon the eternal truths captured in these commandments to form a nation built on law and ordered liberty. Now more than ever, these timeless principles are needed in our classrooms,” Paxton said in a statement. “My office will proudly defend districts that comply with SB 10 against any legal challenges from the radical Left. Texas schools can implement this law with confidence, knowing they have the full backing of my office.”
Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed the Ten Commandments bill in June. Under the law, which took effect on September 1, the display must be in a “size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom in which the poster or framed copy is displayed” and be “at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall.”
