Ten Commandments Controversy Examined

The Verdict's next show focuses on the Ten Commandments controversy.

The weekly show, hosted by Kent Meyers and Mick Cornett, airs on Cox Channel 7 in Oklahoma City and on Cox Channel 3 in Tulsa Sundays at 9:00 a.m., Mondays at 9:30 a.m., Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m., and Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.

"Ten Commandments on the Capitol Grounds" features guests Reverend Bruce Prescott of Mainstream Baptist Church and Pastor Paul Blair of Fairview Baptist Church.

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Edmondson: Expect Commandments Challenge

Attorney General Drew Edmondson said today he expects a legal challenge to the new law that provides for a Ten Commandments monument at the Capitol.

His comments came after a decision Monday by a federal appeals court in Denver declaring that a Ten Commandments monument at a courthouse in Stigler is unconstitutional because its primary effect is to endorse religion.

Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, is the author of House Bill 1330, which calls for a privately funded monument on the Capitol grounds. Governor Henry signed it into law.

In a statement, Ritze said he believes Oklahoma's monument will withstand a legal challenge because his bill was modeled after a Texas law that withstood a challenge in the U.S. Supreme Court.

But Edmondson told the Tulsa World that Oklahoma's proposed monument more resembles the Haskell County monument than it does the Texas case.

The Texas monument was part of an array of monuments dealing with history and the law, Edmondson said. It was placed by a fraternal organization. Such was not he case in Haskell County, he said.

Edmonson added it is premature to say how a defense to an anticipated legal challenge would be handled. The law says an outside group can handle the defense.

He said even if an outside group provided legal services free, if the state looses, the plaintiff's attorneys could collect legal fees. The group or entity responsible for those fees would need to be worked out, he said.

"We are obligated to defend this statute," Edmondson said. "The Attorney General's Office is committed to do that. I think the question is how far does that defense go? Do we stop at district court? Do we stop at the 10th Circuit or do we take it all the way to the Supreme Court? Each step would add to the potential cost of the defense."

Ritze said that the Haskell County case does not affect efforts to erect a monument at the Capitol. He said that the monument is meant to recognize the historical foundation the Ten Commandments have in modern law.

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Henry Signs Ten Commandments Monument Bill

Governor Henry today signed into law a measure that allows the placement of a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds.

The Senate last week gave House Bill 1330, By Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, and Senator Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, final passage.

The monument is to be placed where there are numerous monuments, the measure said.

The bill passed despite concerns that it could draw a costly legal challenge and could be interpreted as an endorsement of a religion. Brogdon said a private law firm has offered to defend the bill on a pro bono basis if such a legal challenge occurs.

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Henry Gets Ten Commandments Monument Bill

The Ten Commandments Monument legislation is on Governor Henry’s desk after receiving final approval from the Senate today.

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Ten Commandments Bill Advances For Vote

A state Senate committee has approved a bill by Rep. Mike Ritze and Senator Randy Brogdon that would authorize the placement of a monument of the Ten Commandments on state Capitol grounds.

House Bill 1330, by Rep. Ritze, R-Broken Arrow and Brogdon, R-Owasso, would require that a monument to the Ten Commandments be placed on the state Capitol grounds. It would be funded by private entities.

The bill now goes to the Senate floor for action.

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Senate Gets Ten Commandments Monument Bill

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

House Bill 1330, by 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.

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