Ten Commandments monument restored to Kentucky state Capitol after decades
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A donated Ten Commandments monument was permanently restored to the Kentucky state Capitol this week, more than four decades after it was removed.
The granite monument was returned Wednesday following the passage of House Joint Resolution 15, which passed the House 79-13 on Feb. 19 and the Senate 32-6 on March 13. The decision directed the state to rebuild the monument on the Capitol grounds.
“I am pleased to see this historic Ten Commandments monument returned to its rightful place,” said Rep. Shane Baker, R-Somerset, sponsor of HJR 15. FOX56. “The Ten Commandments have widely recognized historical significance in the history of the State of Kentucky and the nation.”
The monument was first donated to the state by the Fraternal Order of the Eagle in 1971 and remained on permanent display until it was removed around 1980 due to a construction project. Efforts to restore the statue were halted in 2000 after the ACLU sued, and a federal district court ruled that displaying the monument under the Lemon test violated the Establishment Clause.
The Ten Commandments monument is back at the Kentucky State Capitol after 40 years. (First Freedom Institute)
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS OAKLAND SCHOOLS TO ALLOW EQUAL ACCESS TO CHRISTIAN AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS
US Supreme Court, 2022 Kennedy v. In its decision, the Bremerton School District concluded that the court “abandoned Lemon long ago” and directed courts to evaluate Establishment Clause disputes based on “historical practices and understandings.”
First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty law firm that represents the Fraternal Order of the Eagle, praised the monument’s return on Wednesday.
“Congratulations to the people of Kentucky for restoring a part of their history,” Roger Byron, senior advisor to the First Liberty Institute, said in a press release. “There is a long tradition of public monuments like this that recognize the unique and important role the Ten Commandments played in state and national history.”
“We are excited to return the Ten Commandments monument to the Commonwealth and return it to where it belongs. The Eagles have donated more than 100 Ten Commandments monuments to state and local governments over the years, and we are pleased to return ours to the state Capitol grounds,” said Vic Jeffries, trustee of the Fraternal Order of the Peace Aerie 3423 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Anna Dollar (2nd L) of Boone, NC, and Deanna Gosnell (R) of Avery, North Carolina, hold posters during a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the Ten Commandments on March 2, 2005 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS ON MEDIA AND CULTURE
Some state lawmakers have expressed reservations about bringing back the monument, fearing it could spark another legal challenge or raise questions about whether other faiths should allow similar public displays. WUKY.
“Separation of church and state gives me a little bit of heartburn,” State Representative Joshua Watkins said in a statement to the press.
State Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, also expressed concern that other faiths should be represented at the Capitol.
“I’m just wondering why specifically have the Ten Commandments, and if we’re going to do something like that, what are we going to do to ensure that other religions like Buddhism, Muslims and other faiths have a presence here at the Capitol,” according to the Kentucky legislature. Press release in March.
The Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky, photographed on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald Leader/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Baker said the decision was not about religious displays but about recognition of the long tradition and role the Ten Commandments played in U.S. history.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the ACLU for comment.
