Oklahoma House passes bill that would allow Ten Commandments on public grounds

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved a legislation that would allow the display of the Ten Commandments and other historically significant documents on public property.

The bill known as H.B. 2177, proposed by Rep. John Bennett (R-Sallisaw) in January, was approved by the House last Tuesday by a vote of 79–11.

Under the legislation, documents such as the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution, Bill of Rights and the Oklahoma Constitution would be allowed to be displayed on public grounds.

Documents from other religions, such as Islam and Satanism, will not be included as the bill only applies to the display of historical documents that are influential in the founding of the state or country, according to Christian News Network.

The measure could possibly allow the Ten Commandments monument to return to the State Capitol.

In 2015, the Oklahoma Supreme Court forced the removal of the Ten Commandments monument from the State Capitol, stating that the display was unconstitutional. The monument was eventually removed in 2016 following months of lawsuits launched by groups that claimed the location of the display violated local laws and constitutional provisions against government support of a religion.

Last November, Oklahoma voters failed to support State Question 790, which would have allowed the Ten Commandments monument to be displayed on the grounds of the State Capitol. The question was aimed at removing a part of the state constitution that prohibits the use of state resources for religious purposes.

H.B. 2177 was opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which argued that it elevates Christianity and alienates unbelievers.

"Continued attempts to place a religious monument on the capitol grounds sully the deeply held beliefs of many Oklahomans, marginalize people of minority faiths and those of no faith at all, and amount to a monumental waste of time and money," ACLU executive director Ryan Kiesel told Red Dirt Report.

"Regardless of what Rep. Bennett and other supporters of this misguided effort may claim, their actual intention is to elevate, for their own political advantage, an interpretation of one single faith above other faiths and above the conscience of those who have no religious faith at all," he continued.

The legislation authorizes the Oklahoma attorney general to "prepare and present a legal defense of the display" should its constitutionality be challenged in court. The measure is now headed to the Oklahoma Senate for consideration.