Ten Commandments Bill Headed to Senate

Legislation allowing the placement of a privately funded Ten Commandments monument at the Oklahoma Capitol is headed to the state Senate.

House Bill 1330, by state Rep. Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow), would create the “Ten Commandments Monument Display Act.” The bill would allow for a Ten Commandments monument to be displayed on the Capitol grounds in accordance with existing U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

“The Ten Commandments are a foundation for modern law and this monument will recognize their contribution to our society,” said Ritze, R-Broken Arrow. “Acknowledgments of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our nation's heritage are common throughout America and may lawfully be included among the historical displays on the Capitol grounds.”

Under the bill, the monument would be privately funded and no taxpayer expenditures would be required.

House Bill 1330 notes that the Ten Commandments are “an important component of the moral foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and of the State of Oklahoma” but also states that the monument “shall not be construed to mean that the State of Oklahoma favors any particular religion or denomination …”
House Bill 1330 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives on an 88-6 vote. It now proceeds to the state Senate.