It has been a few years since I left Texas to retire on the Left Coast (so I could be with my people), but there is one Texas issue I have continued to follow: Texas public school education.

See, I was a classroom teacher in Texas for a 13 lucky years. Secondary science. So I was constantly surprised at how closely Texas politicians remained focused on education, but not where you’d think. Their purview is funding issues. But their concentration was always on red meat cultural issues.

Things haven’t changed.

Last year the Lege passed SB 797. This bill, half a page long, stipulated that all public schools in Texas must display an “In God We Trust” poster display, but only if one is donated to the school or they use donated (non-tax payer) funds to acquire one.

And they must display it “in a conspicuous place” in each building.

That was the giveaway. You have to make it obvious. This is one of a series of subtle nudges to deny 1st Amendment rights to people who are not Christians.

So the impetus for the bill is a known. Proselytization. The only question that remains is, why only require posting of DONATED posters?

Simple. Since no taxpayer money is spent, no government entity contributed to its creation. Government merely requires the “conspicuous” display of it.

Where have we heard this before? Could it be Texas’ law that allows any private individual to sue anyone who has or abets the commission of an abortion?

Well, as it turns out, the guy responsible for that nefarious law has his dirty hands on the law requiring a religious motto be displayed prominently. Same MO.

Same State Senator. Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes (TX SD-1) is behind both. A graduate of Baylor Law School (I thought Baylor was a good school), Senator Hughes seems to have happened upon a formula to circumvent obvious constitutional rights, that is, entice and empower the uber-conservatives to gig the libs, among others that they hate.

Taking a half full outlook, I can imagine a world where this Baylor Law genius with a new and perverted concept of the rule of law will see his law overturned some day. Denial of Due Process comes to mind.

Otherwise California’s Gun Bounty law which is based on the Hughes concept of mob rule, where gun manufacturers can be sued for any death attributed to their product, will also stand.

When and if that happens, let the games begin.