KTRV Fox 12 Voting on Ten Commandments
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The Ten Commandments monument was moved from it's original home in Boise's Julia Davis Park in March 2004.
Boise, Idaho -- Boise's Ten Commandments monument that once stood in Julia Davis Park was moved over two years ago to Saint Michael's Cathedral.
The decision was made after Kansas preacher Fred Phelps tried using the monument as an avenue to install his own anti-gay monument.
But a group of Boise citizens fought to keep the Commandments in place, and have continued fighting to get them moved back. And today, the Idaho Supreme Court decided the Commandments should go to a vote.
"So we're making history here in Boise, Idaho," said Brandi Swindell of the Keep the Commandments Coalition.
Two years ago, a group of Boise citizens began collecting 19,000 signatures in order to allow voters to decide whether or not to move the Ten Commandments monument back to Julia Davis park.
And now the Idaho Supreme Court ruling determined voters would get that opportunity -- so on Nov. 7, Boise residents will be the first in the country to vote on such an issue.
"This is a huge victory that not only has significance here in Boise, but really has national significance as well," said Swindell.
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter and Boise city council members had fought to keep the issue off the ballot saying it was an administrative decision and not legislative in nature, and in late August 2004 a district judge agreed.
"I also have to say that this clearly shows that Mayor Bieter and Councilman (Alan) Shealy wasted city time, city money, city resources. They spent thousand and thousands of dollars to fight against their own citizens," said Swindell.
"From the beginning, we have said that we will abide by the will of the people at the ballot box, and we expect the mayor and the council to do the same thing," added Bryan Fischer of the Keep the Commandments Coalition.
But according to Boise city, the ruling, unlike the monument, may not be set in stone.
According to Boise Spokesperson Elizabeth Duncan the vote will go forward, but what happens after that is still anybody's guess.
"Today, the supreme court essential said, 'we don't have enough information to make a decision. We'd like you to put this on a ballot, and then we'll make a ruling,' which is exactly what we plan to do," said Duncan.
According to the ruling, the Idaho Supreme Court is a little confused itself as to whether or not this is an administrative or legislative issue.
No matter how things eventually end up, city officials said this has never been about the monument itself -- rather how the city can avoid further legal distractions.
"This is about making sure that the city of Boise conducts itself in a very conservative, prudent, measured way so we're not having to get in the middle of legal battles in the future," said Duncan.
Should voters decide in favor of the monument, and that decision stands, we're told a new monument would be created to go back into Julia Davis Park.
The original statue would stay in place at Saint Michael's Cathedral.
By: Dan Hamilton, KTRV Fox 12
