Llano County approves 10 Commandments monument at courthouse
The Llano County Courthouse will soon have the 10 Commandments displayed as a monument thanks to a recent donation. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The Llano County Commissioners Court recently approved the donation of a monument featuring the 10 Commandments, to be placed on the grounds of the county courthouse. The decision was made amid a full courtroom with ample input from the public.
The court voted unanimously to accept the donation during its Monday, June 8, meeting. The donation was orchestrated by local residents, including conservative activist Bonnie Wallace, and members of the court through the American History & Heritage Foundation. The monument will be made and installed at no cost to the county, with funds coming from donations made to the foundation.
“The placement of a monument displaying the 10 Commandments on the grounds of the Llano County historic courthouse would help the people of the United States, the state of Texas, and of Llano County to know that the 10 Commandments are one of the moral and historic foundations of the law,” reads the resolution passed by the court to accept the donation.
The basis of the donation and the monument’s installation centers on the 10 Commandments contribution to the history of the United States and the formation of its laws rather than its religious significance.
“The placement of this monument shall not be construed to mean that Llano County or the commissioners court of llano county favors, endorses, or establishes any religion,” reads the resolution.
According to Place 3 Commissioner Brent Richards, the monuments should be manufactured within 16-22 weeks and cost about $14,000. The Commandments will be placed on the grounds of the Llano County Courthouse, at 801 Ford Street in Llano. The exact location of the monument has not yet been determined.
The installation will be a near replica of the monument on the grounds of the Texas Capitol building, contributed in 1961 by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
Donation
Precinct 3 Commissioner Richards and Precinct 4 Commissioner Jerry Don Moss were officially designated as delegates of the court to handle the donation. With the donation approved, the court will go on to determine the best path forward for installation of the monument, but, regardless of the means and methods, the American History & Heritage Foundation has agreed to cover all of the costs involved.
“I was contacted by citizens of Llano County (about the donation of the monument), and it just kind of went from there,” Richards told DailyTrib.
One of the primary drivers behind the donation was Bonnie Wallace, a Llano County resident that has been publicly advocating for conservative and faith-based values over the last several years.
Wallace told DailyTrib that she learned about a possible monument donation from her friend Matt Krause, a Tarrant County commissioner who negotiated a donation of a monument to his county from the American History & Heritage Foundation in January of this year.
“I found out about (the monuments) 6-8 weeks ago and I started researching,” she said. “It seemed like a really great thing for Llano County.”
She and a group of other Llano County residents brought a proposal to Richards and the donation process unfolded from there.
Wallace is best known as a former defendant in the Little et al v. Llano County et al case, which saw a group of Llano County residents file a First Amendment lawsuit against members of the Llano County Commissioners Court and members of the Llano County Library Advisory Board over the removal of books from the library system. That case, after about three years in court, ultimately ended in 2025 with the U.S. Supreme Court allowing a lower court’s ruling to stand that supported the county’s right to determine which books can be included or removed from the library system.
She also made headlines in March of this year when she was escorted out of a Houston Independent School District board meeting for protesting profane material in public schools by reading sexually explicit excerpts from a book she said was available within the district’s high school library system.
The organization behind the donation, American History & Heritage Foundation, was founded in 2017 to fund the replacement of a 10 Commandments monument that was destroyed by a deranged motorist at the Arkansas State Capitol. Since then, the foundation has funded the erection of monuments across the country and the distribution of framed posters of the National Motto, “In God We Trust.”
Public input
The Commissioners Court’s decision came with wide support from attendees of Monday’s meeting, and a little pushback.
It was standing room only in the courtroom and several members of the audience spoke during public comment, sharing their hope that the court would approve the acceptance of the monument donation.
“I am here to support the 10 Commandments at the courthouse,” said Wayne DeCesaris, a Llano resident and former Llano City Council member. “Imagine what the world would be if we all followed these commandments.”
Bonnie Wallace also shared her thoughts prior to the court’s vote.
“We need to stand for Christ, we need to stop this nonsense and stand for Christ in our community, dedicate our land to Jesus and watch how he makes our community thrive,” she said.
A Nacogdoches-based pastor, Rick Scarborough, also spoke. He was present with Wallace at the Houston ISD meeting in March, where he also protested against profane literature in public schools.
“The 10 Commandments were split into two sections, and both are vital to a healthy society,” he said.
Llano County resident Terry Schroth, who has been publicly critical of the Commissioners Court in the past for book removals from the Llano County Library System, shared that she thought the donation should not be accepted.
“I believe in the 10 Commandments, but I also believe that they should be in church, I don’t believe that we should push our religious beliefs on everybody in sight,” Schroth said.
The largest objection to the 10 Commandments donation came from Leila Green Little, a Democratic candidate running for the Llano County Precinct 4 commissioners seat in November. Little is best known as the primary plaintiff and the “Little” in the Little et al v. Llano County et al lawsuit.
Below are excerpts from a statement submitted to DailyTrib by Little on Monday.
“There’s no shortage of opportunities in our community to view these commandments already. They are displayed in our public library, in every classroom in our public schools, or within your choice of several churches. There is no legitimate reason to have these displayed.
“We have neighbors with differing faith traditions, as well as those who don’t appreciate comingling of government and religion. I don’t feel this monument is in this whole community’s best interests. These neighbors will not benefit from seeing this display at the home of our local government where justice is available to all, not just those of one faith. Romans 12:16 advises us to ‘live in harmony with one another.’ Is this really what that looks like?”