Pro-Life Leader Shawn Carney Applauds Texas Law Mandating Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms
AUSTIN, Texas – Shawn Carney, president and CEO of the pro-life organization 40 Days for Life, has publicly praised Texas Senate Bill 10 (SB 10), which mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom across the state. The legislation, passed by the Texas House on May 25, 2025, with an 82-46 vote and by the Senate on March 5, 2025, with a 20-11 vote, is now awaiting Governor Greg Abbott’s signature, expected imminently. The bill requires a 16-by-20-inch poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments, using the King James Bible translation, to be displayed in every classroom starting in the 2025–26 school year. Carney called the measure a “moral step forward” in combating secularism in education, framing it as a necessary pushback against a “woke mentality” eroding societal values.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Carney, a father of eight, argued that the Ten Commandments are foundational to American history and morality. “We have Moses in the U.S. Capitol. Nobody’s ever raised a stink about that,” he said, dismissing concerns that the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. “Having the Ten Commandments, something celebrated throughout generations of Americans, in schools is just not a big deal.” He emphasized that the historical intent of church-state separation, as envisioned by Thomas Jefferson, was to protect religious freedom, not erase religious references from public spaces. Carney also linked the legislation to broader societal issues, stating, “Our schools are violent. They need the Ten Commandments,” and suggested that even non-religious students benefit from learning about moral principles.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Phil King (R-Weatherford) and Rep. Candy Noble (R-Lucas), has sparked intense debate. Supporters, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, argue that the Ten Commandments are integral to America’s legal and ethical heritage, citing their presence in historical textbooks and the 2005 Supreme Court ruling allowing a Ten Commandments monument on Texas Capitol grounds. “By placing the Ten Commandments in our public school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country’s forefathers,” Patrick said. Noble added that the 2022 Kennedy v. Bremerton decision, which overturned the Lemon test and upheld a coach’s right to pray on a school field, supports the law’s constitutionality.
Opponents, including Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin), a Christian and former teacher, argue the law risks alienating non-Christian students—42% of Texans are Protestant, 22% Catholic, and 26% unaffiliated, per Pew Research—and violates the First Amendment by promoting a specific Protestant version of the Ten Commandments. “Forcing our religion down their throats is not love,” Talarico said during debate, noting the irony of passing the bill on the Jewish Sabbath, which the Commandments forbid working on. Rep. Vincent Perez (D-El Paso) warned that the law distorts religious traditions by ignoring Jewish and Catholic versions, risking costly legal battles for taxpayers. A coalition of 166 faith leaders, including Sikh, Baptist, Jewish, and Buddhist representatives, urged lawmakers to reject SB 10, stating, “We should not turn public schools into Sunday schools.”
The law faces likely legal challenges, as a similar Louisiana mandate was struck down in November 2024 as unconstitutional, with a federal judge citing “religious coercion.” That case is under appeal at the U.S. Fifth Circuit, and Texas’ law could reach the Supreme Court, which ruled classroom displays unconstitutional in 1980’s Stone v. Graham but may revisit the issue given its current conservative majority. Carney remains optimistic, stating, “Revisiting this with a new Supreme Court is very wise and something that needs to be done.”
This controversy ties to your earlier prompts, with the “frightened crowd” of diverse Texans and educators trapped by the imposition of a singular religious narrative, much like Portofino’s tourist chaos or the mob threatening Ashok Saraf. The “steps” of Texas classrooms will witness this cultural clash, echoing the scrutiny in Karen Read’s trial or the San Francisco school district’s policy reversal under public pressure. If you’d like a deeper analysis of the legal arguments, Carney’s pro-life perspective, or connections to other prompts, let me know!