KRS 42.705: Legislative findings and declarations -- Display of historic religious and

nonreligious artifacts, monuments, symbols, and texts in public buildings and

on public property owned by the Commonwealth.

The General Assembly hereby finds and declares as follows:

(1) The Commonwealth's public buildings and their surrounding grounds provide

Kentucky's citizens and others a place at which they may conduct public business,

visit and interact with government officials, and learn about the Commonwealth's

history and government;

(2) The Commonwealth's public buildings and public properties are themselves

important symbols of Kentucky's history;

(3) Whether it be former battlegrounds, Native American sites, parks, recreation areas,

historic government sites, homes of famous Kentuckians, or any other site of

interest, without historic artifacts, monuments, symbols, and texts on the properties

and in the buildings, most persons would not even know of the significance of the

site or building;

(4) Kentucky is justly proud of its history, as the past is the prologue to how we live

today, how our government functions, and what things we hold to be important to

us;

(5) It is not in Kentucky's best interest to hide its heritage or traditions, or the beliefs or

deeply held opinions of its citizens;

(6) It is in Kentucky's best interest that its public buildings and public properties reflect

the Commonwealth's rich history by exhibiting items of significance to Kentucky's

civic and cultural development;

(7) The display of histori c artifacts, monuments, symbols, and texts in and on the

grounds of Kentucky's public buildings and public properties promotes its citizens'

awareness of their common history and an appreciation of the persons and events

contributing to that history;

(8) The free exercise of religion, as well as the right to have no religion, is a right

guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of

Kentucky;

(9) The right of the people to express themselves is enshrined in the freedom of speech

guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of

Kentucky;

(10) While the authors of the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of

Kentucky were guaranteeing the free exercise of religion and prohibiting the

establishment of a state -sponsored religion, these same authors and the public

officials of that date publicly and regularly proclaimed a belief in a supreme being,

prayed openly, and placed religious -based statements and symbols in and on their

public buildin gs and properties, and that tradition has continued unbroken to this

day;

(11) The free exercise of religion, in all of its myriad expressions, is a significant

component of Kentucky's historical heritage and may be acknowledged as such;

(12) Historic arti facts, monuments, symbols, and texts, including but not limited to

religious materials, may be displayed in Kentucky's public schools, within the

framework of applicable legal precedents, if they are displayed in connection with a

course of study that is a cademic, balanced, objective, and not devotional in nature,

and that neither favors nor disfavors religion generally or any particular religious

belief; and

(13) Historic artifacts, monuments, symbols, and texts, including but not limited to

religious mate rials, may be displayed in Kentucky's public buildings and on

Kentucky's public properties if they are displayed in a:

(a) Balanced, objective, and not solely religious manner;

(b) Manner that neither favors nor disfavors religion generally;

(c) Manner that neither favors nor disfavors any religious belief; and

(d) Manner which promotes the display of Kentucky's historic, cultural, political,

and general heritage and achievements.