LITTLE ROCK (KFSM) – The Arkansas House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday afternoon (April 1) allowing a monument of the 10 Commandments to be placed at the Capitol.
The bill, also called SB 939, passed the Arkansas House with a vote of 72-7, according to a tweet from the House. SB 939 previously passed the House Committee on State Agencies & Governmental Affairs and Senate.
Sen. Jason Rapert, R-Conway, filed the bill on March 9 at 2:25 p.m., according to legislative records.
The bill states that the Arkansas Secretary of State may “permit and arrange for the placement on the State Capitol grounds of a suitable monument commemorating the Ten Commandments.”
Citing the case of Van Orden v. Perry, the bill states that the monument would be considered constitutional.
If passed, the bill would enable the secretary of state to help private entities in selecting a location for the monument and to pick a time for its placement.
The bill also states that if the legality of the monument is challenged in a court of law, the attorney general may prepare and present a legal defense or request that the Liberty Legal Institute prepare and present a legal defense of the monument.
SB 939 closes by stating, “The placement of the monument under this section shall not be construed to mean that the State of Arkansas favors any particular religion or denomination over others.”
