Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick vows to again pass bill to display Ten Commandments in public schools

Louisiana became the first state on Wednesday to require all public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments.

Published: June 21, 2024 4:34pm

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) vowed to again pass a state Senate bill to have the Ten Commandments displayed in public schools after Louisiana became the first state to require their display in public schools.

On Thursday, Patrick posted on X, "Texas WOULD have been and SHOULD have been the first state in the nation to put the 10 Commandments back in our schools. Last session the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 1515, by Sen. Phil King on April 20th and sent it over to the House, to do what Louisiana just did."

"Every Texas Republican House member would have voted for it. But, SPEAKER Dade Phelan killed the bill by letting it languish in committee for a month assuring it would never have time for a vote on the floor," he continued. "This was inexcusable and unacceptable. Putting the Ten Commandments back into our schools was obviously not a priority for Dade Phelan."

Louisiana is the first state to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public classrooms after Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed the bill into law Wednesday.

Patrick also wrote, "Here is the bill that Speaker Dade Phelan killed because the Democrats who put him in power opposed it. Senate Bill 1515 would require Texas public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom.

"At present, Texas public schools have no such requirement, and this legislation only became legally feasible with the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Lemon test," he continued. "SB 1515 will bring back this historical tradition of recognizing America’s heritage, and remind students all across Texas of the importance of a fundamental foundation of American and Texas law: the Ten Commandments. I will pass the 10 Commandments Bill again out of the Senate next session."

Phelan narrowly won his Republican primary in late May after former President Donald Trump endorsed his challenger. Phelan drew the ire of GOP heavyweights over the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.