Oklahoma Senate Bill SB380

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/4/25
• Failed: 2/19/25

Caption

Public grounds; requiring display of certain monument; specifying requirements for certain funding; creating felony offense. Emergency.

Summary

SB 380 would expand Oklahoma law on displays of historical documents on public grounds and specifically require a monument of the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed and protected inside and outside the Oklahoma State Capitol. The bill authorizes the state and its political subdivisions to display replicas of historical documents, including the Ten Commandments, in public buildings and on public grounds as statues, monuments, memorials, tablets, or similar displays, so long as they are presented with dignity and in context with other documents. The bill also directs the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House to meet within one year of enactment to determine the monument’s design, placement, security, construction, and funding. It limits those costs to donated funds only, bars relocation of the monument without a supermajority vote of both legislative chambers plus the Governor’s approval, and creates a felony offense for knowingly damaging or destroying the monument. If the display is challenged in court, the Attorney General is authorized to defend it, and the bill contains an emergency clause for immediate effect.

Impact

SB 380 would amend 25 O.S. 2021, Section 2101, broadening the statute governing historical-document displays on public property and adding a specific mandate for Ten Commandments monuments at the State Capitol. It would create new duties for state leaders regarding monument planning and implementation, restrict funding to private donations, and add criminal penalties for vandalism or destruction. The bill would also affect future relocation decisions by requiring approval from three-fourths of both legislative chambers and the Governor.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill faced significant resistance in committee, as the Senate Judiciary Committee vote was 3-5 against a do-pass recommendation. There is no transcript available, but the narrow support and committee defeat indicate the measure was controversial. The bill’s coauthoring later in the process suggests continued support among some legislators despite the committee outcome.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely the required Ten Commandments monument on Capitol grounds, the use of public property for a religiously associated display, and the bill’s constitutional implications. The provision authorizing the Attorney General to defend the display signals anticipated legal challenges, and the felony penalty for damage to the monument may also be seen as a strong enforcement measure. Funding restrictions, relocation limits, and the involvement of top state officials in design and placement decisions further concentrate control over the display and may have contributed to opposition.