Texas Flag “Pledge of Allegiance”

The “Pledge of Allegiance” to the Texas state flag was made into law in 1933. In 2007, the words “one state under God” were added.
   
     
Wikipedia: Flag of Texas
Pledge of allegiance and flag protocol
The pledge of allegiance to the state flag is as follows:
 
Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.[17]
 
The pledge was instituted by the Texas Legislature in 1933. The pledge originally referred to the “Texas flag of 1836” (which was the Burnet Flag, and not the Lone Star Flag then in use). In 1965, the error was corrected by deleting the words “of 1836” because the current flag was not officially adopted by the Texas government until 1839. In 2007, the phrase “one state under God” was added. The addition of “under God” has been challenged in court, though an injunction was denied. As of 2001 (amended 2017), recite the pledge by holding your head cover with your right hand and placing that hand over your heart; if in uniform, however, render a military salute. The Texas Pledge is always recited after reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag every morning in the majority of schools across the state.
 
Flag Pledge—Texas State Library
Pledge of allegiance to the state flag
 
The pledge of allegiance to the Texas state flag is:
“Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.”
 
According to The Handbook of Texas Online, “In 1933 the legislature passed a law establishing rules for the proper display of the flag and providing for a pledge to the flag: ‘Honor the Texas Flag of 1836; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible.’ The pledge erroneously referred to the 1836 national flag, known as David G. Burnet’s flag, instead of the Lone Star Flag. Senator Searcy Bracewell introduced a bill to correct this error in 1951, but the legislature did not delete the words ‘of 1836’ until 1965.”
 
The pledge was again amended by House Bill 1034 during the 80th Legislature with the addition of “one state under God.” The revised wording became effective on June 15, 2007.
 
The text of the current law, Chapter 3100, Sections 3100.101 - 3100.104 of the Texas Government Code, is available to be viewed online.

26 April 1933, Victoria (TX) Advocate, pg. 3, col. 3:
DO’S AND DON’TS OF
TEXAS STATE FLAG
PASSED BY SOLONS
 
AUSTIN, Tex., April 24.—(INS)—If there was any doubt and confusion in your mind regarding the do’s and don’ts of the Texas States Flag, these have been definitively settled for you by the 43rd Texas Legislature.

Finally passed by both houses and signed by the governor, a law is now in the statute books which define explicitly what should and should not be done with the flag.

The law was enacted, according to the emergency clause, because of “much confusion and doubt in the minds of the citizenry concerning the description, meaning the use of the flag.”

Some of the do’s and some of the don’ts are listed here:

In outdoor display, the flag must be on a flagpole or staff at least two and one half times as long as the flag. It may not be unfurled earlier than sunrise, and may not be left out after sunset.

It should be displayed on all memorial days, and every school should fly it on all school days.
 
It should be hoisted briskly and furled slowly. The white stripe should always be at the top.
 
In all cases where the U. S. flag and the Texas flag are displayed at the same time, the Texas flag should be at the left. Where both are on the same flag-pole, the Texas flag is below. The flags should be of approximately the same size, and the flagpoles of the same length.
 
Here’s a tip to political speakers—The flag should never be used as a drape for a speaker’s platform.It may be displayed above, or to the left of a speaker.

Nor, says the law, should it be draped over automobiles, nor railroad cars, nor any part of a costume. It shouldn’t be embroidered on handkerchiefs, nor printed on boxes of napkins. It may not be used in advertisements. It should not be used for decorations by hanging over a street for a parade.

When the flag has been worn threadbare by long flying, it should be destroyed, by burning.

The official salute to the Texas flag is:

“Honor the Texas flag of 1836; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible.”
 
Houston Chronicle
Aug. 2, 2007, 1:14PM
Students must remember ‘God’ in Texas pledge
By MELANIE MARKLEY
 
Texas students will have four more words to remember when they head back to class this month and begin reciting the state’s pledge of allegiance.
 
This year’s Legislature added the phrase “one state under God” to the pledge, which is part of a required morning ritual in Texas public schools along with the pledge to the U.S. flag and a moment of silence.
 
State Rep. Debbie Riddle, who sponsored the bill, said it had always bothered her that God was omitted in the state’s pledge.
 
“Personally, I felt like the Texas pledge had a big old hole in it, and it occurred to me, ‘You know what? We need to fix that,’ ” said Riddle, R-Tomball. “Our Texas pledge is perfectly OK like it is with the exception of acknowledging that just as we are one nation under God, we are one state under God as well.”
 
By law, students who object to saying the pledge or making the reference to God can bring a written note from home excusing them from participating.
 
But adding that phrase has drawn criticism from some who say it’s unneccesary and potentially harmful to children who don’t share the same religious beliefs. “Most Texans do not need to say this new version of the pledge in order to be either patriotic or religious,” said Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. “This is the kind of politicking of religion that disturbs many Americans, including those who are deeply religious.”
 
The revised wording in the Texas pledge took effect on June 15, and the Texas Education Agency sent an e-mail reminding school districts about the change earlier this week.
(...)
Texas has had a pledge of allegiance since 1933. In 2003, the Legislature required all schools to pledge allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags and observe a moment of silence every morning at the beginning of classes.
 
Texas isn’t the only state that has its own pledge of allegiance. Other states include Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky.
 
Mississippi and Louisiana mention God in their pledges. And Kentucky lays claim to being blessed with “grace from on High.”
 
Lufkin Daily News
FYI: Words were added this year to Texas flag pledge of allegiance
The Lufkin Daily News
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
 
Q: Can somebody tell me what the correct wording is for the pledge of allegiance to the state flag of Texas? I just fairly recently got to where I thought I had learned it — and I’m in my 50s! — then they apparently went and changed it up.

A: The most recent state legislature added the phrase “one state under God” to the pledge, a move similar to what Congress OK’d to the pledge to the American flag in the 1950s when they added “one nation under God.”

So now here is the correct up-to-date pledge to the flag of the state of Texas:
 
“Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.”
 
Angelina County commissioners’ court opens each meeting with pledges to both the U.S. and the Texas flags, so if you wanted to attend any of their court sessions — every second and fourth Tuesday morning at the Courthouse Annex — you could get in some good practice on the pledge.