The granite monument was returned on 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 resolution directed the state to reinstall the monument on Capitol grounds.
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Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman also celebrated the return of the historic monument.
The Ten Commandments monument returned to the Kentucky state Capitol grounds after 40 years. (First Liberty Institute)
“The Ten Commandments are at the heart of America’s history and founding, so it is only right that they also sit at the heart of our Commonwealth’s Capitol grounds,” said Attorney General Coleman. “After several decades, we have returned this monument to its rightful place, and I’m grateful to Representative Baker and the entire General Assembly for taking this important step to uphold our history. We also owe a debt of gratitude to our Solicitor General Matt Kuhn for not only locating this monument but also for working for years to bring it back to Frankfort.”
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The U.S. Supreme Court concluded in its 2022 Kennedy v. Bremerton School District ruling that the court had “long ago abandoned Lemon” and directed courts to evaluate Establishment Clause disputes based on “historical practices and understandings.”
First Liberty Institute, a religious-liberty law firm that represented the Fraternal Order of Eagles, also praised the development.
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 to support the Ten Commandments March 2, 2005, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“We congratulate the people of Kentucky for restoring a part of their history,” said Roger Byron, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, in a press release. “There is a long tradition of public monuments like this one that recognize the unique and important role the Ten Commandments have played in state and national history.”
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Some state lawmakers expressed reservations about the monument’s return, fearing it could invite another legal challenge or prompt questions about whether other faiths would be allowed similar displays on public grounds, according to WUKY.
“It gives me a little heartburn around separation of church and state,” state Rep. Joshua Watkins told the outlet.
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)
State Sen. Keturah Herron, D-Louisville, also expressed concerns that other faiths should be represented at the Capitol.
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Baker said that the resolution wasn’t about religious displays but about recognizing the long tradition and role the Ten Commandments have played in U.S. history.
Fox News Digital reached out to the ACLU for comment.
* Original Article:
https://www.foxnews.com/media/ten-commandments-monument-returns-kentucky-state-capitol-grounds-after-40-years
