An Oklahoma judge has ruled that a Ten Commandments monument is Constitutional.

The American Civil Liberties Union had filed suit against the monument claiming that it was an illegal endorsement of religion by the government.  The ACLU said that the position of the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission that the monument was historical in nature was overridden by the religious message.

Judge Thomas Prince sided with the OCPC.  He said that the monument served a historical purpose witting among 51 other expressive monuments on the Capitol grounds.

“Today’s ruling is a clear message that the Ten Commandments can be displayed on public grounds like the Oklahoma Capitol because of the historical role the text has played in the founding of our nation,” said Attorney General Scott Pruitt. “The U.S. Supreme Court found constitutional a nearly identical monument in Texas. We were confident in the state’s case from the start and appreciate the court’s thoughtful consideration and ruling in the state’s favor.”

The monument, proposed by Rep. Mike Ritze in 2009 and paid for completely by Ritze, had no taxpayer dollars involved in the creation or placement.