Historic Ten Commandments Monument back at Kentucky capitol

After more than two decades in storage, a Ten Commandments monument has been returned to the Kentucky Capitol grounds.

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The 10 Commandments monument, which originally stood at the Capitol in 1971, has been reinstalled following a February legal opinion from Attorney General Russell Coleman's office that found displaying the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms and on Capitol grounds would not violate the First Amendment.

"The Ten Commandments are at the heart of America's history and founding, so it is only right that they also sit at the heart of our Commonwealth's Capitol grounds," Coleman said. "After several decades, we have returned this monument to its rightful place, and I'm grateful to Representative Baker and the entire General Assembly for taking this important step to uphold our history."

The monument's return follows passage of House Joint Resolution 15, sponsored by Representative Shane Baker, a Somerset Republican. According to the press Coleman, the resolution directed that the monument could be moved back to the Capitol grounds after Coleman's legal opinion cleared the way.

"I am pleased to see this historic Ten Commandments monument returned to its rightful place," Baker said in the release. "The Ten Commandments have widely recognized historical significance in the history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the nation. This monument is part of an old tradition of public monuments and displays that acknowledge the Ten Commandments' role in our heritage."

The monument had been removed following a 2000 ACLU lawsuit that successfully challenged its display. According to the press release, the judge in that case relied on the "Lemon test"- a legal standard the U.S. Supreme Court overturned in 2022, ultimately allowing for the monument's return.

Coleman credited his Solicitor General Matt Kuhn "for not only locating this monument but also for working for years to bring it back to Frankfort."

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