Louisiana’s bipartisan push to abolish the death penalty received an extra boost this week from Bishop Shelton Fabre of the diocese of Houma-Thibodaux. In an editorial in The Advocate, the state’s largest newspaper, the bishop called the practice “inconsistent with Louisiana’s values.” “Ours is one of the most religious states in the country, with more…Read More
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state’s constitution protects a woman’s right to access an abortion. “Among the rights is the right of personal autonomy,” the justices wrote in a 6-1 decision. “This right allows a woman to make her own decisions regarding her body, health, family formation, and family life—decisions that can…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday approved a bill that makes it a felony for doctors to perform medically induced abortions without informing patients that such an abortion may be reversible. The measure requires doctors who prescribe the abortion pill to inform their patients of a controversial abortion reversal process — a medically questionable practice that…Read More
Oklahoma City native, Stephanie Bice, announced Wednesday that she will run for the United States House of Representatives in 2020. Bice was elected to the state senate in 2014 and serves as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “Washington is seized by gridlock and runaway spending and a Democratic…Read More
Oklahoma City native, Stephanie Bice, announced Wednesday that she will run for the United States House of Representatives in 2020. Bice was elected to the state senate in 2014 and serves as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “Washington is seized by gridlock and runaway spending and a Democratic…Read More
Pro-life advocates have lamented a federal judge’s preliminary injunction against the federal Protect Life Rule, which bars family planning funds for clinics at the same location as abortion providers and for those which refer for abortion. “Abortion is not healthcare, and that’s how we evaluate these kinds of decisions,” Todd Cooper, executive director of the…Read More
After a yearlong legal struggle, a federal appeals court has ruled that city contractors in Philadelphia must place foster children with same-sex couples, a ruling that threatens the future of the local Catholic archdiocese’s foster placement program. “We’re disappointed that the court decided to let the city place politics above the needs of kids and…Read More
This year, legislation has advanced to expand the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act by raising the cap on tax credits used to attract private investment in public schools and in private-school scholarships. Opponents argue tax credits reduce available state funding for schools. But those same critics have been largely silent when it comes to…Read More
The Oklahoma Senate easily approved legislation Wednesday to overhaul the boundaries used to select state Supreme Court justices, as supporters argued that the changes would expand the pool of qualified candidates. Under the legislation, approved 34-13, one justice would be appointed from each of the five congressional districts and four would be appointed statewide. The…Read More
This year, legislation has advanced to expand the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act by raising the cap on tax credits used to attract private investment in public schools and in private-school scholarships. Opponents argue tax credits reduce available state funding for schools. But those same critics have been largely silent when it comes to…Read More
The Oklahoma Senate easily approved legislation Wednesday to overhaul the boundaries used to select state Supreme Court justices, as supporters argued that the changes would expand the pool of qualified candidates. Under the legislation, approved 34-13, one justice would be appointed from each of the five congressional districts and four would be appointed statewide. The…Read More
Doctors who perform medication abortions could face felony charges for not informing women about the possibility of reversing the process under a bill that is heading to the Oklahoma governor’s desk. The state House voted 74-24 on Tuesday for the bill . It requires abortion providers to tell women who are taking medication to terminate…Read More
Doctors who perform medication abortions could face felony charges for not informing women about the possibility of reversing the process under a bill that is heading to the Oklahoma governor’s desk. The state House voted 74-24 on Tuesday for the bill . It requires abortion providers to tell women who are taking medication to terminate…Read More
North Dakota’s governor signed into law Wednesday a bill that outlaws the common abortion procedure known as “dilation and evacuation.” Mississippi and West Virginia also outlaw the procedure. Tammi Kromenaker, director of the Red River Women’s Clinic, the sole abortion facility in North Dakota, told reporters that before deciding whether to file suit against the…Read More
The end of this week’s business at the state legislature wraps up the latest deadline for committee hearings on bills from the opposite chamber. All bills approved in committee will be advanced for a potential hearing on the respective chamber floors. Among the bills advanced are a handful of measures supported by the Catholic Conference. Senate…Read More
With members of a state House committee expected to vote this week on legislation raising the cap on an existing tax-credit scholarship program, new polling shows strong public support for the proposal. Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, called the results “pleasing to hear” and noted the program has common-sense appeal. “This helps students of Oklahoma, and…Read More
With members of a state House committee expected to vote this week on legislation raising the cap on an existing tax-credit scholarship program, new polling shows strong public support for the proposal. Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, called the results “pleasing to hear” and noted the program has common-sense appeal. “This helps students of Oklahoma, and…Read More
A federal appeals court has upheld a Kentucky law requiring that abortion doctors show ultrasound images of the baby to the mother, describe the images on the screen, and play the sound of the fetal heartbeat. The Catholic bishops of Kentucky praised the ruling in an April 4 statement. “Given the devastating effect that abortion…Read More
“The Oklahoma Constitution contains no language that guarantees a right to an abortion, yet the Oklahoma Supreme Court has crept dangerously closer to inventing such a right,”
“Recently, Planned Parenthood and others have strategically challenged pro-life legislation in state courts in the hope that the Oklahoma Supreme Court will find a right to an abortion in the state constitution. By allowing these cases to advance in state court rather than federal court, the Oklahoma Supreme Court is implicitly showing their willingness to make up out of whole cloth a right to an abortion in the state Constitution where none exists. We cannot allow that to happen as it would be a tremendous setback for the pro-life movement. Senate Bill 195 gives the people of Oklahoma the ability to loudly proclaim their strong desire to protect the sanctity of life.”