Republicans in the Texas State Senate have passed a pair of bills that would require public schools to display the Ten Commandments, give students and staff a daily prayer period, and allow teachers to read the Bible.
Late last week, the Texas State Senate passed the bills, both with a 17-12 vote, and they now head to the state’s House of Representatives. The first bill, sponsored by State Sen. Phil King (R) would require all public schools in Texas to display the Ten Commandments.
“This is an American tradition,” King said. “If schools in Texas do not have it in their funding to [display the Ten Commandments], they can accept private dollars for this.”
The second bill, sponsored by State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R), would require public schools to give students and staff a daily period of prayer time. Likewise, the bill would allow teachers to read the Bible and other religious texts as part of the curriculum.
The bills are backed by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) who said that “allowing the Ten Commandments and prayer back into our public schools is one step we can take to make sure that all Texans have the right to freely express their sincerely held religious beliefs.”
“I believe that you cannot change the culture of the country until you change the culture of mankind,” Patrick continued. “Bringing the Ten Commandments and prayer back to our public schools will enable our students to become better Texans.”
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John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.