The Alabama Senate has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to protect the display of the Ten Commandments in public buildings.
The Senate voted 23-1 Tuesday for the legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. Gerald Dial of Lineville. The bill still must be approved by the House and by voters in a statewide referendum before it can take effect.
The legislation is designed to provide state constitutional protection for the display of the Ten Commandments and other historically significant documents in public buildings, regardless of their religious significance.
Since 2003, the state Capitol has displayed the Ten Commandments as part of a collection of historic documents, including the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact and Bill of Rights.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.