Okla. Guv Calls For Constitutional Amendment To Return Ten Commandments Monument

National Governor's Association chair Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin addresses the morning session of the NGA's Winter Meeting in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
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Shortly after the Ten Commandments monument was removed from the state capitol grounds, Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) on Tuesday called for state lawmakers to initiate an amendment to the state constitution that would allow the monument to return to the capitol.

“Moving forward, I believe the people of Oklahoma should have the opportunity to vote on a proposed constitutional change to ensure that historical monuments like this one are not pushed out of public spaces,” she said, according to the Tulsa World. “I strongly encourage lawmakers to take up this issue in the next legislative session.”

Fallin made the comments while viewing the 2,400-pound granite tablet at its new home, the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a nearby think tank. The monument was removed from the state capitol late Monday night after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in June that the monument must be removed. The state still owns the monument, but it is on loan to the think tank for now.

The state legislature passed a bill in 2012 authorizing the Ten Commandments monument’s place at the state capitol after Rep. Rep. Mike Ritze (R) donated it to the state.

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