Oklahoma court: Ten Commandments monument at Capitol must go

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma Supreme Court has reaffirmed in a 7-2 decision that a Ten Commandments monument on the state Capitol grounds must be removed.

The state’s highest court on Monday denied a rehearing that had been requested by Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

Chief Justice John Reif wrote in the court’s concurring opinion that justices carefully considered the Pruitt’s arguments on behalf of the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission and found nothing to merit a rehearing in the case.

The court had found previously that the monument is a religious symbol and must be removed because it violates the state’s constitutional ban on using public property to benefit a religion.

The decision prompted an outcry from some conservative legislators who vowed to impeach the justices or amend the constitution.