CapitolBeatOK Staff Report





OKLAHOMA CITY - State Rep. Mike Ritze, R-Broken Arrow, who paid for the Ten Commandments monument at the state Capitol, released the following statement following a federal court ruling in the Western District of Oklahoma Tuesday (March 10) that dismissed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the monument.





"I am very pleased that this case was dismissed, and that Oklahomans can continue to enjoy the monument and understand the Ten Commandments historical significance to our nation. I doubt that this is the last challenge we will face, but we will continue to fight to have the monument preserved at our state Capitol. I am also grateful for the diligent and dutiful efforts of our state Attorney General Scott Pruitt and his staff in defending our state against these challenges."





Ritze added that the legal argument for the constitutionality of the monument is that:





1. The Ten Commandments are an important component of the foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and of the State of Oklahoma;





2. The courts of the United States of America and of various states frequently cite the Ten Commandments in published decisions; and





3. Acknowledgements of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our nationâs heritage are common throughout America.

House Bill 1330, by Ritze, was enacted in 2009.



