The Merry Christmas Texas project empowers public schools and individuals to use their constitutional rights to freely acknowledge and educate students about Christmas.

In 2013, Texas Values led the efforts to pass the Merry Christmas Law (H.B. 308) to protect the religious liberty of children, parents, teachers, and school staff to acknowledge Christmas without fear of censorship, persecution, or litigation. The Merry Christmas Texas project was launched shortly after to continue to spread awareness on this First Amendment right.

View and share this PDF of the law guaranteeing the First Amendment freedom of our children, teachers, parents, and school administrators to acknowledge Christmas on school grounds without fear of censorship, persecution or litigation!

If your school is not allowing you to say 'Merry Christmas' or is in anyway violating the Merry Christmas Law, please email us at [email protected] so that we can help.

In schools people were scared of saying the name ‘Christmas’ which is just crazy that we even needed a state law. 

The point…was to scare all 1,200 school districts into submission and often times it worked.

You could not have a gift exchange because people were fearful of a lawsuit.

Even if you’re talking about Christmas historically…it is about one thing, the birth of Jesus Christ. 

It is the most significant, far-reaching, religious holiday in all of the universe.

His interview is available to view on our YouTube Channel and on our Facebook page. 

Catch the weekly Texas Values Report at any time, day or night, and on additional podcast sites: Facebook, Apple, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Spotify, TuneIn and, YouTube.

Mary Elizabeth Castle, Director of Government Relations for Texas Values, testifies on Item 85 at the Austin City Council meeting today! This item aims to “remodel city facilities in a way that is both 'gender inclusive' and compliant with Texas Senate Bill 8.”

Mary Elizabeth had this to say, “Every time a man is allowed to enter a female restroom or locker room… her privacy and civil rights under Title IX is violated.” View her full testimony here.

Texas Values sent our letter on legal and policy guidance on the Texas Women’s Privacy Act to Mayor Kirk Watson’s Chief of Staff and to the city clerk. The Council voted unanimously to accept the resolution. You can see the resolution here. Council member Michael Siegel suggested that the city make all bathrooms single use and called the Texas Women’s Privacy Act “hateful” and “unconstitutional”. The law went into effect last week.

Learn more about the Texas Women’s Privacy Act. 

The Arlington City Council voted 5-4 Tuesday against reinstating a transgender ordinance in direct conflict with newly enacted state law as well as directives from the Trump administration and federal government policy causing it to become a national controversy.

Not only did Jonathan Saenz testify at the meeting yesterday evening, Texas Values has worked on this issue for weeks and recommended that Arlington City Council remove the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” from the ordinance in order to comply with federal directives, as well as newly enacted state law such as the Texas Women’s Privacy Act (S.B. 8) which went into effect last week.

Read more about it here.

Jonathan Saenz was in attendance as an invited guest at this hearing and got to spend time with Reverend Franklin Graham!

President Donald J. Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, through the U.S. Department of Justice met in Dallas yesterday, about issues on religious freedom in the military, and Christmas!

Texas Values board member and CEO of First Liberty Institute - Kelly Shackelford was appointed to this Commission by President Donald Trump. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is the Chairman of the Commission.

Watch the riveting testimony given by invited guests on the Department of Justice website here.

Join us Monday, December 22nd, 12:00PM - 2:00PM at Maggiano's Littly Italy at the Domain for an Austin Area Lunch Reception.

This event is free to register. RSVP today!

The Texas SBOE meets 5 times/year and began meeting tasked with reviewing and revising social studies standards for K-12. 

Sign up to be on a Social Studies TEKS review Work Group! 

Having solid folks serve on a Work Group is crucial in making sure important historical facts are not removed from the Social Studies TEKS drafts! 

We'd like to encourage anyone in the Central Texas area who cares about our American and Texas Heritage and does not want to see woke materials in the TEKS to volunteer to serve on a Work Group. The best applicants will have some experience teaching history or Social Studies or has an educational background in these subjects. 

Apply here.

Applications to serve on a Work Group are now open. If you live in SBOE District 10 and decide to apply, please email [email protected]. Find your SBOE district here. Your application will be sent to your SBOE member who will then decide if and when you will serve on a work group. 

If you have additional questions about the Social Studies TEKS review please send an email to [email protected].

The Texas Attorney General's office has taken official action against two school districts who have banned the Ten Commandments from their schools. Texas Ten Commandments Law requires the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools. This new law was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott this past legislative session and went into effect September 1, 2025 but 11 school districts received an injunction from a federal district court to hold off on posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms until the resolution of litigation.

“Singling out and banning the Ten Commandments is a bad look for Round Rock ISD, Leander ISD and any other school district in Texas and it’s also illegal. If these rogue and woke school districts thought we were just going to turn the other cheek on this issue, they found out today that they’re wrong.” - Jonathan Saenz, President & Attorney for Texas Values.

Unfortunately, a handful of Texas school districts will have to remove their Ten Commandments posters due to a federal judge's ruling.

Oral arguments at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals are set for January 20, 2026. In practical terms, this means that Texas’s law to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms is not stalled or in limbo where school districts can ignore or delay implementation.

Read the full press release here.

Purchase posters and find out more about the Texas Ten Commandments Bill here.

Watch our 2025 highlight video to see how we fight for faith, family, and freedom in Texas year-round.

Texas Values is a Christian nonprofit law & policy organization who fights for faith, family, & freedom! Leaders like Gov. Greg Abbott, Riley Gaines, Sen. Mayes Middleton, Sen. Phil King, State Representative Terri Leo Wilson, and more acknowledge our hard work on issues like no taxpayer funds for abortion travel & logistics, protecting the privacy of girls in restrooms, showers, & locker rooms, strengthening parental rights in Texas by protecting children from harmful sexual orientation and gender identity ideology in classrooms, protecting prayer in public schools, placing The Ten Commandments back in our schools, and more!

Please consider a Year-End Gift Today directly fueling our mission to help us continue our work.
No amount is too small, and every dollar brings strength, hope, and momentum to the work ahead.

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 DONATE HERE to help us continue our work.

Thank you, God Bless You and God Bless Texas!

Our speakers are happy to come to your church, civic group, or political organization to update you on new bills / laws passed and policy updates for Texas! Let us know how one of our speakers can make your next event a memorable and informative one by contacting us here.

If you would like to be on the front lines of fighting to protect faith, family, and freedom in Texas we are hiring! Current open positions include Director of Operations & Development Director.

Share with a friend and apply to join our team here.

Visit Texas Values' friend and big supporter Jim Day, owner of two shooting ranges, Eagle Peak Shooting Range and Garland Public Shooting Ranges!

Eagle Peak Shooting Range is nestled in the hill country northwest of Austin, and is located at 20026 Lindeman Ln, Leander, 78641.

Garland Public Shooting Range is northeast of Dallas, and is located at 2606 Pleasant Valley Rd, Garland, 75040.

Both shooting ranges are open 10AM - 6PM, EVERY day, Monday-Sunday, every holiday, every single day.

Visit eaglepeakshootingrange.com to support our good friend Jim Day; owner of shooting ranges, who shares your values.

Texas Values is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at TXValues.org

1005 Congress Ave. #830 Austin, TX 78701