OKLAHOMA CITY – Four bills with conservative, Christian themes failed last week in the Oklahoma State Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bills, authored by Sen. Dusty Deevers (R-Elgin), a member of the right wing State Freedom Caucus, aimed to enshrine certain religious and social viewpoints into Oklahoma law.
Deevers introduced SB 456, a bill that would have made abortion a part of the homicide statute in Oklahoma.
“Everybody in this building, does not stand before the ballot box, the people, or the courts,” Deevers said. “We stand before God first.”
Deevers also proposed SB 829, which would have banned no-fault divorce in Oklahoma and SB 228, a bill that would establish covenant marriages in Oklahoma and give up to a $2,500 tax credit to couples who enter into a covenant marriage.
When questioned about the SB 228 bill’s applicability to same-sex couples by committee Vice Chair State Sen. Todd Gollihare (R-Kellyville) and other members, Deevers acknowledged that it would apply for now if passed.
But he hinted at the possibility of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning its landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which decided marriage is a fundamental right guaranteed to same sex couples.
All of Deevers bills failed with a vote of two members in support and six opposed. Senators Shane Jett (R-Shawnee), the chair of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, and Sen. Lisa Standridge (R-Norman) voted in favor.
The State Freedom Caucus Network is a right-wing national organization with an official presence in 14 state legislatures. The network builds off of the House Freedom Caucus in Congress. The House Freedom Caucus is known for ousting the Speaker of the House, and creating disruption, stalling legislative action and garnering publicity and attention.
Another bill presented during the Judiciary Committee meeting with religious themes sponsored by Sen. David Bullard (R-Durant) called for the reinstallation of the Ten Commandments at the State Capitol.
SB 380 bill emphasized the monument’s historical significance for both Oklahoma and American history. But it failed after only securing three votes in support and five opposed.
The failure of these bills so early on in session represents a setback for the religious political agenda in the state, analysts said.
Opponents of these bills argued that they violated the separation of church and state and discriminated against certain groups. The bills’ failure may also indicate a growing resistance to the imposition of religious and social views on the broader public.
Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to GaylordNews.net.
