(NewsNation) — A bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in Texas schools died in the state House of Representatives after lawmakers failed to take a vote on it Tuesday before a midnight deadline.
Supporters of Senate Bill 1515 have said the Ten Commandments are part of the United States history, while opponents say it would violate religious freedoms.
The bill would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in each classroom on a poster or frame that is at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall. These posters could have been displayed in classrooms across Texas as soon as this fall if the bill had passed.
The bill renewed the debate on the separation of church and state. The Ten Commandments are a set of foundational Judeo-Christian principles that outline moral values. Opponents have raised concerns about the bill and the role the state is playing with children and religion.
It cleared the Senate in April and was read once in the House but was not taken up for a second reading Tuesday, the last day for Senate bills on second reading to be considered. The legislative session ends Monday.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State said the government should not endorse any particular faith. And the American Civil Liberties Union said the Constitution expressly prohibits the entanglement of church and state.
“The U.S. Constitution expressly prohibits the entanglement of church and state, and the Texas Constitution guarantees the freedom of worship,” David Donatti, an attorney with the ACLU of Texas said. “This bill [SB 1515], which would require every classroom to display the Ten Commandments, is a great example of failed priorities and failed leadership. Whether we celebrate Ramadan, Easter, Passover or nothing at all, people of all faiths and creeds should together resist the State’s endorsement of one particular religion.”
Meanwhile, a Pew research study from 2021 found that more than two-thirds of respondents do not want the government to declare an official religion.
A monument of the Ten Commandments has been displayed on the Texas State Capitol grounds in Austin since 1961. It’s also not the first time that Texas, or other states, have tried to incorporate the Ten Commandments in the classroom.
However, one group in support of the bill said Texas is the first to file a bill like this since last summer, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned what’s called the “Lemon test,” which determined whether a law or government activity violates the First Amendment.
SB 1515 was one of three proposals making their way through the Texas legislature that focus on public schools and religion. Another bill that’s currently pending would require schools to employ chaplains to replace or work alongside counselors as soon as the 2023-2024 school year.