U.S. Appeals Court to Hear Challenges Against Texas and Louisiana Laws Mandating Ten Commandments Displays Compiled By Televangelist HB Morgan A federal appeals court is set to hear challenges against laws in Texas and Louisiana that mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, in an October 28 motion, to allow the cases to bypass the standard three-judge panel, indicating the significance of the upcoming hearings. The Specifics of the Legislation: * Texas is one of several states, including Louisiana and Arkansas, that have passed legislation requiring the public display of the Decalogue. * Texas's Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), which took effect on September 1, mandates that public elementary and secondary schools must display a durable poster or framed copy of a specific English version of the Ten Commandments in a conspicuous location in every classroom. The display must adhere to specific size and textual requirements, including being at least 16 by 20 inches. * The law specifies that schools are not compelled to purchase the displays but must accept and display any privately donated posters or copies that meet the statutory requirements. * In July, the advocacy group Texas Values, which helped secure the passage of SB 10, launched a website, RestoreAmericanSchools.com, allowing individuals to purchase the mandated posters for a subsidized price of $1. Legal Challenges and Arguments The laws face immediate legal challenges over their constitutionality: * Opponents argue that mandatory displays of the Ten Commandments violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion. * A temporary injunction was issued in August by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio, which blocked 11 Texas school districts from displaying the Ten Commandments in response to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of Dallas-area families, faith leaders, and civil liberties advocates. * Louisiana’s similar law was already reviewed in June, where a three-judge panel on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court ruling stating that the law violated the First Amendment. * In Arkansas, a lawsuit was filed against its similar law by progressive advocacy groups, including Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The State's Stance: Despite the legal setbacks, supporters of the laws maintain they are constitutionally permissible, citing the historical and moral significance of the Ten Commandments. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas, in an August 25 statement, ordered all school districts not covered by the federal judge's injunction to display the Decalogue. Paxton asserted that, "From the beginning, the Ten Commandments have been irrevocably intertwined with America's legal, moral, and historical heritage. " He vowed to defeat the "woke radicals seeking to erase our nation's history," and affirmed his commitment to "defending the virtues and values that built this country." The TBNM TV Network Website is Exclusively LIVE on WordPress via Click on LINK below https://targetmedianewsblog.wordpress.com Courtesy of: Target Blog News Media TBNM Television Network Digital Library™