Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton urged schools across the state Tuesday to establish dedicated prayer time in classrooms, recommending students begin with the Lord’s Prayer. His statement followed the Sept. 1 enactment of Senate Bill 11, which permits voluntary prayer and scripture reading in public schools.
“In Texas classrooms, we want the Word of God opened, the Ten Commandments displayed, and prayers lifted up,” Paxton said in a statement. The Republican attorney general criticized what he called “twisted, radical liberals” who “want to erase Truth, dismantle the solid foundation that America’s success and strength were built upon, and erode the moral fabric of our society.”
The new law marks a significant shift in Texas education policy and reflects ongoing national debates over religion’s role in public schools.
Senate Bill 11 allows school boards to adopt policies setting aside time for voluntary prayer and Bible reading. Each Independent School District board must vote on implementation within six months of the law’s effective date — by March 1, 2026.
Student participation requires parental consent. The Attorney General’s office has pledged to defend any district facing legal challenges over adopted prayer policies.
Paxton specifically encouraged students to recite the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 in the King James Version.
“Our nation was founded on the rock of Biblical Truth, and I will not stand by while the far-left attempts to push our country into the sinking sand,” Paxton stated.
Districts that adopt such policies will receive state legal protection under the new law.