Legislation passed to help make Ten Commandment monuments legal

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A bill to help counties wanting to have Ten Commandment monuments at their courthouses passes the Oklahoma Senate Monday. <br/><br/>Tulsa state Senator James Williamson's amendment

Monday, March 13th 2006, 12:49 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A bill to help counties wanting to have Ten Commandment monuments at their courthouses passes the Oklahoma Senate Monday.

Tulsa state Senator James Williamson's amendment to a bill on county construction projects was approved on a 45-to-1 vote.

Williamson says his measure was spurred by a lawsuit filed last summer by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging the constitutionality of a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Haskell County Courthouse in Stigler.

His proposal would require that a county commission could approve such a monument only after an opinion from the district attorney that the display meets U.S. Supreme Court guidelines.

It also appropriates $3-million to help district attorneys defend such a monument and makes it clear that the attorney general has the authority to defend a Ten Commandments display on behalf of a county.

The state House will now take up the measure.