Remember this embattled cross?

When last I blogged about the beloved war memorial on a mountaintop in the San Diego area, a local atheist seemed on the verge of winning a protacted legal battle to tear the cross down.

Now, it’s headed for a citywide vote.

After an emotional six-hour hearing in which veterans pleaded with the City Council to save the cross, the council voted 6 to 3 Tuesday night to put the issue on the July 26 ballot, when voters will select a replacement for Mayor Dick Murphy.

Voters will be asked whether the cross property should be deeded to the U.S. government, which could designate it a federal monument. Supporters, including two members of Congress, want to preserve the cross, which was built in the 1950s and is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

We’ll keep an eye on it.

Matthew J. Peterson at Claremont’s indispensable Local Liberty blog has much more.