Texas Representative James Talarico is leading the opposition against Senate Bill 1515, requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Texas Rep Rejects Ten Commandments In School
A Democratic state lawmaker in Texas who voted against a bill prohibiting sexually explicit books in public schools is now opposing legislation that would place the Ten Commandments in classrooms, describing the proposal as “deeply un-Christian.”
State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, is spearheading the opposition to Senate Bill 1515, which would amend state law to mandate a display of the Ten Commandments in Texas elementary and secondary schools.
Talarico has accused Texas Republicans of “trying to force public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.”
The Bill is “Unconstitutional”
Talarico grilled state Rep. Candy Noble, R-Plano, during a Public Education Committee hearing on May 2 and suggested her bill is “idolatrous.” He believes that the bill is unconstitutional, un-American, and contrary to the teachings of Jesus.
“A religion that has to force people to put up a poster to prove its legitimacy is a dead religion,” Talarico said. “And it’s not one that I want to be a part of, it’s not one that I think I am a part of.” He also cited the Ten Commandments and asked Noble if a display of them would violate the Second Commandment that prohibits the worship of graven images.
During a committee hearing on the bill, Talarico asked the bill’s author, state Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, if his legislation would prohibit books like “Catcher in the Rye” or even the Bible, which Patterson denied.
Talarico retweeted a user who described the bill as an example of “Christian nationalist purity culture.”
Talarico To Allow Sexually Explicit Materials
In March, Talarico and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, were the only two lawmakers on the House Public Education Committee to vote against House Bill 900, or “READER Act,” which would prohibit “sexually explicit materials” in schools and require parents to opt in their child before they can have access to “sexually relevant material” in the classroom.
The bill passed the committee, 10-2, and is in the Senate Education Committee with a public hearing scheduled on Thursday.
Talarico’s opposition to the Ten Commandments display in schools has sparked a debate among lawmakers and residents in Texas, with Fox News Digital reaching out to Talarico’s office for comment.
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