10 Commandments to go on State Capitol

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Lawmakers speak on new law allowing Ten Commandments public display in light of voters rejecting similar measure

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/capitol_report/lawmakers-speak-on-new-law-allowing-ten-commandments-public-display/article_f86ed487-d192-5f59-b3b6-20bb2678da5e.html

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Satanic Temple Unveils Baphomet Statue at Arkansas Capitol
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arkansas/articles/2018-08-16/satanic-temple-unveils-baphomet-statue-at-arkansas-capitol


LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Satanic Temple unveiled its statue Thursday of a goat-headed, winged creature called Baphomet during a First Amendment rally at the Arkansas State Capitol to protest a Ten Commandments monument already on the Capitol grounds.

With Satanists, atheists and Christians among those in attendance, several speakers called for the removal of the Ten Commandments monument or for state government officials to install Baphomet as well. The Satanic Temple said the Ten Commandments monument violates constitutional freedom of religion rights and that installation of their statue will demonstrate religious tolerance.

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A bill that proposed to erect monuments to the Ten Commandments at the Oklahoma Capitol failed to advance through the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Senate Bill 380 proposed to display monuments to the Ten Commandments both inside and outside the Capitol. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, who authored the measure, said donated funds would have been used to design the monuments and set them in place.

In 2015, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against a Ten Commandments monument that previously had been displayed at the Capitol, citing the Blaine Amendment in the Oklahoma Constitution, which prohibits the use of public funds or property to promote a religion. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, too, includes a clause prohibiting the government from establishing a religion or favoring one religion over another.
In 2016, Oklahomans voted to reject State Question 790, which would have repealed the Blaine Amendment and allowed for restoration of the monument on the Capitol grounds.
Committee Chairman Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, said recent history has shown, too, that Oklahomans would prefer for the state to refrain from any endorsement of a particular religion. He noted that Oklahomans opted not to repeal the Blaine Amendment by a 57% to 43% vote.
"We cannot favor one religion over another. ... I think that this still is furtherance of an unconstitutional matter that has been ruled on, and I worry about what further doors this will open if we advance this," Howard said.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/new-ten-commandments-monument-bill-fails-to-advance/article_c1c7b284-ef18-11ef-9fe8-6ba668b3ffd4.html