Source: The First Amendment Center

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=12882

On March 17, 2004 The First Amendment Center reported, "The City Council voted March 15 to remove a controversial Ten Commandments monument from the grounds of City Hall.

The council voted 5-4 not to fight a lawsuit filed by the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union. The MnCLU had filed a federal lawsuit to get the city to remove the monument because it was an unconstitutional confluence of church and state.

Supporters of the monument rallied in front of City Hall before the vote. The council heard testimony from eight speakers, all in favor of keeping the monument.

The council considered postponing a vote until an appeals court in Nebraska ruled on a nearly identical lawsuit there, but the board eventually voted not to fight the MnCLU because of potential legal costs, estimated at roughly $20,000 if the city was not successful in court."