Bills I’m Watching: SB 10 – 10 Commandments in Public School Classrooms

(“Bills I’m watching…” is a series of blog posts where I summarize in plain language what I think a bill is saying. — ABT) 

SB 10 – relating to the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

Authors: King, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, Hinojosa, Adam, Huffman, Hughes, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks

My Summary:

Each public elementary or secondary school shall display in each classroom “a durable poster or framed copy” of the Ten Commandments that meets the following requirements

• It includes only the text of the Ten Commandments as provided below,
• It must be in a size and typeface that is legible to,a person with average vision from anywhere in the room.
• It must be at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall

Any school that does not have a poster/framed copy in every classroom may, but is not required to, purchase copies that meet the specifications using district funds.

Any school that does not have a poster/framed copy in every classroom must accept any offer of privately donated copies that meet the specifications, and must display them as specified.

Approved version of the 10 Commandments is as follows: 

I AM the LORD thy God.

• Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
• Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven images.
• Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
• Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
• Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
• Thou shalt not kill.
• Thou shalt not commit adultery.
• Thou shalt not steal.
• Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
• Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.