A law established in 2021 is making headway in the news right now. Texas’ “In God We Trust” law is allowing private donors to give schools signs that state “In God We Trust,” along with the American and Texas flags centered at the bottom.

According to Senate Bill 797, “A public elementary or secondary school or an institution of higher education as defined by Section 61.003 must display in a conspicuous place in each building of the school or institution (a) durable poster or framed copy of the United States national motto, “In God We Trust,” if the poster or framed copy meets the requirements of Subsection (b) and is: (1)  donated for display at the school or institution; or (2) purchased from private donations and made available to the school or institution.”

The bill was authored by Bryan Hughes, the Texas State Republican Senator of Minneola. Last week State Senator Hughes has been tweeting his pride in the bill that is already getting private organizations to donate signs to public schools.

“The national motto, In God We Trust, asserts our collective trust in a sovereign God,” tweeted Hughes. “I co-authored the bill in 2003 that allowed schools to display the motto, and last year I authored the “In God We Trust Act,” which requires a school to display the motto if there is no cost associated with the display.”

Many proponents are excited about the law. Already around Texas, Republicans, conservatives, and Christian organizations are utilizing the bill by donating signs to their local school districts.

“Patriot Mobile has donated framed posters to many other school districts in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and we will continue to do so until all the schools in the area receive them,” the company posted on Facebook. “We are honored to be part of bringing God back into our public schools!”

However there is much backlash against the bill and many people have concerns and questions over what the passage of this bill might mean. One organization in Southlake expressed its opposition against the bill by stating, “SARC is disturbed by the precedent displaying these posters in every school will set and the chilling effect this blatant intrusion of religion in what should be a secular public institution will have on the student body, especially those who do not practice the dominant Christian faith.”

Other civil liberties groups have spoken out against the bill as ideology pushed by Texas conservatives or Christian groups and violating the separation of Church and state. Others view this as displaying America’s national motto that has been defended numerous times. The modest comments made is that this law might pave the way for more freedom of expression in schools and allow communities to express what they support in their local school districts.