The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has filed a lawsuit seeking to force the removal from state Capitol grounds of a monument that bears the Ten Commandments.
The Tulsa World reports Monday that the civil liberties group filed suit in Oklahoma County District Court and names the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission as the defendant.
Republican Rep. Mike Ritze and his family paid nearly $10,000 to build and erect the 6-foot-tall granite monument authorized by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2009 and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Brad Henry.
Courts have ruled against many similar monuments, saying they could imply that the government is endorsing religion.
Ritze has argued that the monument was a historical document and not a religious symbol.