Appeals court rules Texas can display Ten Commandments in public schools

DALLAS (AP) — Texas can require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, a U.S. appeals court ruled Tuesday in a victory for conservatives who have long sought to incorporate more religion into schools.

The ruling sets up a potential clash at the U.S. Supreme Court over the issue in the future. Arkansas and Louisiana have passed similar laws, which have also been challenged in courts.

And Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a similar law earlier this moth.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said in the decision that Texas’ law did not violate the First Amendment, which protects religious freedom and prevents the government from establishing a religion.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, called the ruling “a major victory for Texas and our moral values.”

“The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it’s important that students learn from them every single day,” Paxton said.

Andrew Mahaleris, spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said the mandate from the state was a “commonsense law, consistent with our history and tradition.”

Organizations representing the families who challenged the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, s...