Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized his Republican colleague, state House Speaker Dade Phelan, for blocking a bill that would have required the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms. Patrick lamented that Texas missed an opportunity to become the first state to institute this measure, following Louisiana’s recent adoption of a similar law.
According to Patrick, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 1515, which would have displayed the Ten Commandments in classrooms, on April 20th. He claimed that every Texas Republican House member would have voted in favor of the bill, but Phelan allowed it to languish in committee for a month, effectively killing it. Patrick described this decision as “inexcusable” and pledged to pass the bill again in the next session.
The 2023 Texas bill had successfully passed the Senate but was stalled in the House due to the high volume of legislation being considered. The bill’s delay was partly attributed to the House Calendars Committee Chairman, Republican Dustin Burrows, and Democratic members who utilized the “chubbing” technique, where they repeatedly spoke at length, blocking progress on the bill’s final day.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has already challenged Louisiana’s new law, deeming it a violation of the separation of church and state and “blatantly unconstitutional.” After the Texas Republicans failed to advance their Ten Commandments legislation last year, the ACLU celebrated the delay, stating that the bill was an “unconstitutional attack on our core liberties” and that families and faith communities, not politicians or the government, should have the right to instill religious beliefs in their children.
