Texas' Attempts to Integrate Church and State Thwarted by Failed Bills

A bill that would have required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every classroom in Texas failed to pass in the State House. The bill was part of an effort by conservative Republicans to expand the reach of religion into public schools. However, lawmakers were poised to allow school districts to hire religious chaplains in place of licensed counselors. The bills appeared aimed at testing the openness of the conservative majority on the Supreme Court to re-examining the legal boundaries of religion in public education.