Texas would require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments under a Republican proposal that cleared a major vote Saturday and would make the state the nation's largest to impose such a mandate.
If passed as expected, the measure is likely to draw a legal challenge from critics who consider it a constitutional violation of the separation of church and state .
The Republican-controlled House gave its preliminary approval with a final vote expected in the next few days. That would send the bill to the desk of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who has indicated he will sign it into law.
"The focus of this bill is to look at what is historically important to our nation educationally and judicially," said Republican state representative Candy Noble, a co-sponsor of the bill.
Two other states, Louisiana and Arkansas, have similar laws, but Louisiana's is on hold after a federal judge found that it was " unconstitutional on its face ."