A discussion of the history of abortion law occupied several minutes of the oral argument before the Supreme Court last Wednesday. Much of what was said was false or misleading. Julie Rikelman, the lawyer for the clinic challenging Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks, gave voice to that misinformation under searching questioning from Justice Samuel…Read More
As the wait begins for a decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization abortion case, close attention will be paid to the comments and questions of three conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court that some observers view as possible swing votes: Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., and Associate Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy…Read More
Becket has just released the third annual Religious Freedom Index, the only annual poll that tracks trends across the full spectrum of opinions on American religious freedom. This year’s Index reached a new high as Americans bounced back from a uniquely divisive year with revitalized support for religious liberty. In addition to the Index’s standardized…Read More
Two bishop chairmen on behalf of their committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have cosigned a coalition letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) with other faith groups raising urgent concerns that the Build Back Better Act’s…Read More
President Joe Biden reaffirmed his support of Roe v. Wade on Wednesday, in response to a question about the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization abortion case before the U.S. Supreme Court that could overturn the nation’s abortion precedent, though he said he did not listen to the oral arguments that took place earlier in…Read More
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES —————— THOMAS E. DOBBS, STATE HEALTH ) OFFICER OF THE MISSISSIPPI ) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ET AL., ) Petitioners, ) ) No. 19-1392 v. JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH ) ORGANIZATION, ET AL., ) Respondents. ) Continue Reading Transcript of Hearing…
Justice Saumel Alito grilled a pro-choice lawyer during oral arguments in a major abortion case Wednesday over whether using viability as the threshold for when a state can ban abortion is a valid standard. “What would you say to the argument that has been made many times by people who are pro-choice and pro-life, that…Read More
Former vice president Mike Pence is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. “I came here today to speak about right and wrong, to say life is a human right, and urge the Supreme Court of the United States to choose life,” he said…Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a historic case on Dec. 1 that directly challenges Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Here’s what you need to know: The case, known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, involves a 2018 Mississippi law restricting most abortions after 15 weeks. “Dobbs” stands for…Read More
The deluge of proposed legislation ahead of the annual legislative session is, as yet, only a trickle. But there are some items of interest among the 50 or so bills and resolutions already in the hopper. Also, scores of bills filed last session and still in various stages of the legislative process will be eligible…Read More
Oklahoma is less than two weeks away from the state’s next scheduled execution. Death row inmate Bigler Stouffer is scheduled to be put to death on Dec. 9 for the 1985 killing of an Oklahoma teacher. Stouffer’s attorneys are appealing a judge’s decision to not stop his execution because of concerns about the drugs Oklahoma…Read More
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Nov. 18 rescinded a Trump administration rule that ensured faith-based social service agencies that provide adoption and foster care would continue receiving federal funding for services that follow their religious beliefs. Opponents of the rule modification, put in place early this year in the waning days of…Read More
After nearly a half century of legal abortion throughout the United States, that precedent could fall — or stand — through one critical case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet what makes it possibly the most significant abortion case in decades? The Supreme Court on Dec. 1 will hear arguments in the case of…Read More
Social media gets blamed for many of America’s ills, including the polarization of our politics and the erosion of truth itself. But proving that harms have occurred to all of society is hard. Far easier to show is the damage to a specific class of people: adolescent girls, whose rates of depression, anxiety, and self-injury…Read More
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) – A federal judge has denied a stay of execution for death row inmate Bigler Stouffer. Attorneys for Stouffer argued the lethal injection drugs currently being used in Oklahoma are unconstitutional. They had hoped to get him added to the lawsuit challenging the state’s execution method. Those protocols are at the center…Read More
The Oklahoma Corrections Department has agreed that condemned prisoners in the future can have a personal spiritual advisor in the execution chamber. The spiritual advisor will have to pass a background check. Confirmation of the policy change came Monday during a hearing on a death row inmate’s request for an execution stay. The inmate, Bigler Jobe…Read More
On Dec. 1, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the abortion case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Many legal experts say the case presents the most momentous test yet of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. At issue is the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi law…Read More
Oklahoma’s Attorney General joined a nationwide investigation into Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook, and one of its platform’s impacts on young users. “It’s going to be a little bit of a challenge,” said Patrick Allmond, the owner of Focus Digital Media. “What we have to remember about these social media companies – they don’t…Read More
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla. said Wednesday that a recent memo from the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department showed the Biden administration’s disregard for Americans’ First Amendment rights. His comments came on the same day that Fox News reported on HHS’ effort to rescind Trump-era measures for beefing up religious liberty protections. “The memo is…Read More
Oklahoma Gov. J. Kevin Stitt today commuted the death sentence of an inmate, hours before his scheduled execution. Julius Jones, who was scheduled to be executed today at 4 p.m. for a murder he says he did not commit, will have to serve a life imprisonment instead, without the possibility of parole. “After prayerful consideration…Read More
“I applaud his commitment to seeking justice while providing the condemned an opportunity for redemption,” the archbishop said in a Nov. 18 statement. Stitt reduced Jones’ sentence to life in prison without parole, partially following a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board but veering from that recommendation, reached in a 3-1 vote Nov.…Read More
An Oklahoma Teacher of the Year nominee, Bristow Middle School teacher Lauren Vandever, has declared that it is important to be supportive of children exploring transgender transition. “I am not transgender. I’ve never experienced being transgender or on the LGBTQ spectrum,” Vandever said. “But I definitely think it is something that is an important thing…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that he has commuted Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones’ sentence to life without the possibility of parole. Jones was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of Edmond businessman and father Paul Howell. The death row inmate has maintained his innocence and has garnered national attention. Stitt’s decision comes more…Read More
The pro-life Susan B. Anthony List launched a $2.5 million ad campaign Wednesday ahead of oral arguments at the Supreme Court for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. SBA List’s television and digital ads “highlight scientific advances that reveal the humanity of unborn children and the extremism of U.S. policy that allows unlimited late-term abortion up…Read More
The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is considering revoking authority the former Trump administration delegated for the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to prevent violations of religious liberty – prompting concerns about conscience protections under Secretary Xavier Becerra. A draft memo obtained by Fox News targets two actions related to the First Amendment from…Read More
An Oklahoma Teacher of the Year nominee, Bristow Middle School teacher Lauren Vandever, has declared that it is important to be supportive of children exploring transgender transition. “I am not transgender. I’ve never experienced being transgender or on the LGBTQ spectrum,” Vandever said. “But I definitely think it is something that is an important thing…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that he has commuted Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones’ sentence to life without the possibility of parole. Jones was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of Edmond businessman and father Paul Howell. The death row inmate has maintained his innocence and has garnered national attention. Stitt’s decision comes more…Read More
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday recommended clemency for another death row inmate in part because of concerns about the last execution. “That process is obviously flawed,” board member Larry Morris said before voting to recommend clemency. “We have had individuals on the table suffering for 20 and 30 minutes apiece. And I don’t think…Read More
A group of Republican lawmakers are now calling on the governor to grant clemency to Julius Jones just seven days before his scheduled execution. Representatives John Talley, Logan Phillips, Kevin McDugle, Preston Stinson and Garry Mize released a joint statement on Thursday, some saying there are too many loose ends in the case to sentence…Read More
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath Wednesday to open an investigation into possible criminality involving the availability of pornography in the state’s public schools. The governor said in a letter to Morath that “the presence of pornography in schools is not only inappropriate, but it is also against the law.”…Read More
Parents in Virginia weren’t thinking about starting a movement when they went to school board meetings to push for the reopening of their children’s classrooms after the COVID-19 lockdowns. But as they lobbied for in-person learning, they learned more about what their children were being taught and started asking questions, rousing other parents to action…Read More
Oklahoma schools—in both rural and suburban districts—are providing students with sexually explicit materials and undermining parental rights in other ways, according to parents who have spoken out publicly at recent school board meetings. The response from school officials has been mixed. “If we had more accountability, didn’t have this type of material available, weren’t focused…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt has ordered the Oklahoma Health Department to stop issuing gender-neutral birth certificates. After Oklahoma issued its first nonbinary birth certificate last month, Stitt signed an executive order Monday to block the state from issuing more birth certificates with an “X” gender marker. In the order, Stitt said that by issuing a gender-neutral birth certificate, the health department…Read More
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Ramirez v. Collier on Tuesday, Nov. 9, almost two months after the court delayed a scheduled execution over a question about the role of spiritual advisors in the death chamber. The court will consider the constitutionality of Texas’ prohibitions on a spiritual advisor touching a condemned prisoner…Read More
A federal appeals court has halted President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for larger businesses, marking a temporary victory for the Right’s resistance to the measure. A three-judge panel issued the ruling Saturday, saying petitioners offered significant cause to believe there are “grave statutory and constitutional issues” with the federal order. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who…Read More
Oklahoma County Commissioner Kevin Calvey said Monday he is running for district attorney and, if elected, will drop “bogus” criminal cases against police officers involved in fatal incidents. Calvey, 55, is the fourth Republican to announce for the 2022 race. In his announcement, he directly criticized District Attorney David Prater, who is retiring. “Unlike our current…Read More
The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s website includes or directs teachers to materials that tout themes common to Critical Race Theory (CRT), a Marxist-derived theory that views issues through a lens of racial privilege and often divides groups along racial lines as either privileged or oppressed. While those materials are not explicitly labeled as CRT,…Read More
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says Oklahoma is now the number one black market supplier of illegal marijuana in the country. There are 8,500 medical marijuana grow licenses in Oklahoma and agents say 25 percent of them are run by criminal organizations from places like China, Russia and Mexico. People all over Green Country tell…Read More
The New York Times published a report that Texas has reduced abortions by half since the passage of the state’s Heartbeat Law, which bans abortions after a heartbeat can be detected. “In September, after Texas enacted the most restrictive abortion ban in the nation, the number of legal abortions performed there dropped 50 percent from…Read More
Students at a Catholic high school in San Francisco staged a walkout last month to protest an all-school assembly which featured a pro-life speaker. Despite the students’ actions, the school’s president defended the talk as “an opportunity to come together in order to learn more about the dignity of human life.” Archbishop Riordan High School,…Read More
The most powerful tool for racial segregation the American government ever had was its school system—not just in the past, but today. A new data-mapping tool from the Urban Institute shows in shocking detail how effective the government school monopoly is, in Oklahoma and elsewhere, at continuing to enforce racial segregation. If we’re serious about…Read More
We are only a month into the Supreme Court’s 2021-22 term and abortion already appears to be this season’s defining topic. The court heard arguments in two cases on Monday related to the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans most abortions after the fetal heartbeat is detected (which is usually about six weeks after conception). And…Read More
The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in two cases challenging the Texas abortion law that bans most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy. The court will hear arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson and United States v. Texas, both of which challenge the Texas abortion law. On Monday, the court will…Read More
The board voted 3-1 in favor of granting clemency for Jones, who has been on death row for more than 20 years for the 1999 murder of Edmond businessman Paul Howell. One board member recused themselves from the vote. Along with clemency, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended commuting Jones’ death sentence to life…Read More
The board voted 3-1 in favor of granting clemency for Jones, who has been on death row for more than 20 years for the 1999 murder of Edmond businessman Paul Howell. One board member recused themselves from the vote. Along with clemency, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended commuting Jones’ death sentence to life…Read More
If we mean to build a culture of life, we must commit anew to emptying death row and abolishing capital punishment. We are at a crossroads in the United States as we wrestle with the question of inherent human dignity—born and unborn, innocent and guilty, young and old, well and infirm. Amid the perennial debate…Read More
The Rev. Paul S. Coakley, archbishop of Oklahoma City, issued the following statement, sharply criticizing Gov. Kevin Stitt and Attorney General John O’Connor for hurrying to resume executions. “The unnecessary rush to restart executions in Oklahoma by the governor and attorney general is concerning and disappointing. Throughout our nation’s history we have justified the killing…Read More
October 28, 2021 “The unnecessary rush to restart executions in Oklahoma by the governor and attorney general is concerning and disappointing. Throughout our nation’s history we have justified the killing or mistreatment of our neighbors by lessening their value as human beings – whether it is the unborn, aged, native populations, African Americans or those…Read More
A New York City Council Member urged the city to consider cutting off funding for Catholic Charities of Brooklyn because it is “anti-gay.” “Anti-gay discrimination is real and tremendously hurtful especially when it is done by the bishop of the church of which you are a faithful member,” wrote Council Member Daniel Dromm, who chairs…Read More
As more states enact strict abortion laws and bans, some companies are tragically stepping in to provide medication abortions through drugs obtained overseas. This development narrows the window of opportunity to serve women in crisis and educate them about other options, ends the life of a baby, and could pose a greater risk to the…Read More
If we mean to build a culture of life, we must commit anew to emptying death row and abolishing capital punishment. We are at a crossroads in the United States as we wrestle with the question of inherent human dignity—born and unborn, innocent and guilty, young and old, well and infirm. Amid the perennial debate…Read More
The Rev. Paul S. Coakley, archbishop of Oklahoma City, issued the following statement, sharply criticizing Gov. Kevin Stitt and Attorney General John O’Connor for hurrying to resume executions. “The unnecessary rush to restart executions in Oklahoma by the governor and attorney general is concerning and disappointing. Throughout our nation’s history we have justified the killing…Read More
October 28, 2021 “The unnecessary rush to restart executions in Oklahoma by the governor and attorney general is concerning and disappointing. Throughout our nation’s history we have justified the killing or mistreatment of our neighbors by lessening their value as human beings – whether it is the unborn, aged, native populations, African Americans or those…Read More
The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked three anti-abortion laws from taking effect Monday. In light of pending litigation challenging the constitutionality of five new restrictive abortion laws, the court on Monday granted a temporary injunction preventing two laws that restrict medication abortions and one that would limit who can perform the procedure from taking effect Nov. 1. A…Read More
An Oklahoma City federal judge on Monday denied Julius Jones and four other inmates execution stays. The decision came just three days before the first execution is scheduled to be carried out. The inmates immediately appealed. “The Supreme Court has made it clear that the state’s interest in timely enforcement of its judgments cannot be ignored,” U.S.…Read More
Smearing parents fed up with their kids’ schools as “domestic terrorists” seems to be a wild, incendiary charge with little basis in reality. Yet it’s the basis on which the U.S. attorney general has convened an FBI task force to surveil and intimidate parents who object to what their children are being taught, and how…Read More
The White House issued a “national gender strategy” Monday, claiming COVID-19 has “fueled” a number of crises which demand “we build back better.” “President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that advancing gender equity and equality is fundamental to every individual’s economic security, safety, health, and ability to exercise their most basic rights,” according to…Read More
The federal government sent around $190 billion in aid to public schools across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is a lot of money by any standards, but in terms of federal spending on primary education, it is a shockingly large amount: as Reason‘s Matt Welch explained when surveying the Biden administration’s weak moves toward…Read More
The Oklahoma Supreme Court temporarily blocked three anti-abortion laws from taking effect Monday. In light of pending litigation challenging the constitutionality of five new restrictive abortion laws, the court on Monday granted a temporary injunction preventing two laws that restrict medication abortions and one that would limit who can perform the procedure from taking effect Nov. 1. A…Read More
An Oklahoma City federal judge on Monday denied Julius Jones and four other inmates execution stays. The decision came just three days before the first execution is scheduled to be carried out. The inmates immediately appealed. “The Supreme Court has made it clear that the state’s interest in timely enforcement of its judgments cannot be ignored,” U.S.…Read More
Oklahoma’s new attorney general wants the chairman and another member of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board banned from two upcoming clemency hearings on bias grounds. Attorney General John O’Connor is asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to order the two to disqualify themselves. A clemency hearing for high-profile death row inmate Julius Jones is scheduled for Tuesday.…Read More
I am a Christian, a lifelong Oklahoman, a former law clerk for the Honorable Gary Lumpkin on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and former appointee to the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Professional Responsibility Tribunal, where I served for six years. I believe in our legal system, but I also know it is capable of…Read More
President Joe Biden flew to Pennsylvania to keep pushing his massive spending proposals. One thing several lawmakers want desperately is paid family leave. That is something the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has supported, although whether it makes the final cut remains to be seen. Lawmakers want 12 weeks of paid family leave, but the…Read More
The attorneys general of 17 U.S. states have formed a coalition denouncing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI for attempting to “chill lawful dissent by parents voiced during local school board meetings.” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and 16 other state chief legal officers signed a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, blasting…Read More
A Senate committee introduced nine budget bills on Monday that would roll back several pro-life policies, allowing for domestic funding of abortions and funding of international pro-abortion groups. As part of the appropriations process for the 2022 fiscal year, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday released nine bills allocating funding to various federal agencies and…Read More
Oklahoma’s new attorney general wants the chairman and another member of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board banned from two upcoming clemency hearings on bias grounds. Attorney General John O’Connor is asking the Oklahoma Supreme Court to order the two to disqualify themselves. A clemency hearing for high-profile death row inmate Julius Jones is scheduled for Tuesday.…Read More
I am a Christian, a lifelong Oklahoman, a former law clerk for the Honorable Gary Lumpkin on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, and former appointee to the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Professional Responsibility Tribunal, where I served for six years. I believe in our legal system, but I also know it is capable of…Read More
The attorneys general of 17 U.S. states have formed a coalition denouncing the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI for attempting to “chill lawful dissent by parents voiced during local school board meetings.” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and 16 other state chief legal officers signed a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday, blasting…Read More
A federal appeals court has ordered that several Oklahoma death row prisoners be reinstated to a lawsuit challenging the state’s lethal injection protocol. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday said a lower court made a mistake by dismissing six prisoners from the lawsuit. A group of more than two dozen death row…Read More
Three former teachers now serving as Oklahoma lawmakers are studying the state’s worsening teacher shortage to see what policy measures might be of help. “The teacher pipeline is one of the critical issues we can address in the 2022 legislative session,” said Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, who previously taught government at Booker T. Washington High…Read More
High-profile death row inmate Julius Jones and five others scheduled for execution could get a reprieve because of a federal appeals court decision Friday. Jones, 41, is set to be executed Nov. 18. Jones claims that he is innocent, that the real killer framed him and that his trial was unfair. Millions signed a petition in his support after ABC in…Read More
A federal appeals court has ordered that several Oklahoma death row prisoners be reinstated to a lawsuit challenging the state’s lethal injection protocol. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday said a lower court made a mistake by dismissing six prisoners from the lawsuit. A group of more than two dozen death row…Read More
Three former teachers now serving as Oklahoma lawmakers are studying the state’s worsening teacher shortage to see what policy measures might be of help. “The teacher pipeline is one of the critical issues we can address in the 2022 legislative session,” said Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, who previously taught government at Booker T. Washington High…Read More
High-profile death row inmate Julius Jones and five others scheduled for execution could get a reprieve because of a federal appeals court decision Friday. Jones, 41, is set to be executed Nov. 18. Jones claims that he is innocent, that the real killer framed him and that his trial was unfair. Millions signed a petition in his support after ABC in…Read More
To characterize that Oklahoma still has a teacher shortage problem today is an outdated talking point. We now have a clogged pipeline perpetuated by the lack of innovation within the education sector. Our state’s elected officials have made great strides in recent years to address the root of the initial shortage by strengthening resources for…Read More
The office of Kentucky’s attorney general appeared at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, asking to be allowed to intervene in defense of the state’s dismemberment abortion ban. Kentucky’s pro-life law, H.B. 454, passed the state legislature in 2018 and was signed into law by then-governor Matt Bevin (R). It bans the practice of live dismemberment…Read More
Architectural consultants hired by the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council shared two multimillion-dollar options for the future of the Oklahoma County Jail in a meeting Thursday evening as citizens called for investments in social services instead. The options, one to build an entirely new facility and a second to renovate the existing facility and…Read More
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced Monday their positive reaction to the news that the refugee cap will increase to 125,000 for the coming fiscal year. “The last few years have had a devastating impact on refugee resettlement, all while we witness the greatest forced migration crises in decades,” said an Oct. 11…Read More
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily reinstated the Texas Heartbeat Act. The action blocks an injunction ordered by lower court ruling that had barred Texas from enforcing the law while the case is litigated in the courts. The Texas Heartbeat Act protects an unborn child once a heartbeat can be detected, at approximately…Read More
To characterize that Oklahoma still has a teacher shortage problem today is an outdated talking point. We now have a clogged pipeline perpetuated by the lack of innovation within the education sector. Our state’s elected officials have made great strides in recent years to address the root of the initial shortage by strengthening resources for…Read More
Architectural consultants hired by the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council shared two multimillion-dollar options for the future of the Oklahoma County Jail in a meeting Thursday evening as citizens called for investments in social services instead. The options, one to build an entirely new facility and a second to renovate the existing facility and…Read More
Texas is planning to appeal the recent order of a U.S. District Court judge that blocked the state’s new pro-life law. As Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted, “We disagree with the Court’s decision and have already taken steps to immediately appeal it to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The sanctity of human life…Read More
An Oklahoma prosecutor is again asking the state Supreme Court to remove two members of the Pardon and Parole Board from the case of a high-profile death row inmate. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater filed the motion Monday to remove Kelly Doyle and Andrew Luck from the clemency hearing for Julius Jones. Prater alleges…Read More
An Oklahoma prosecutor is again asking the state Supreme Court to remove two members of the Pardon and Parole Board from the case of a high-profile death row inmate. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater filed the motion Monday to remove Kelly Doyle and Andrew Luck from the clemency hearing for Julius Jones. Prater alleges…Read More
State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister will run for governor in 2022 as a Democrat. Hofmeister, a longtime Republican from Tulsa, announced her campaign against Gov. Kevin Stitt in an interview with the Tulsa World posted Wednesday night and with an video advertisement and news release Thursday. “I’m running for Governor as a Democrat because I believe in supporting our children’s…Read More
A judge Monday blocked Oklahoma laws that would have banned abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected and would have deemed abortions as “unprofessional conduct” by doctors. The judge, however, refused to block enforcement of a new law that requires abortion doctors in Oklahoma to be board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology. “This court … believes that irreparable…Read More
State schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister will run for governor in 2022 as a Democrat. Hofmeister, a longtime Republican from Tulsa, announced her campaign against Gov. Kevin Stitt in an interview with the Tulsa World posted Wednesday night and with an video advertisement and news release Thursday. “I’m running for Governor as a Democrat because I believe in supporting our children’s…Read More
Assisted suicide undermines the practice of medicine and endangers persons with disabilities, a panel of experts argued in an online event held on Tuesday, Oct. 5. The event, titled “Deadly, Not Dignified,” was hosted by the Maryland Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the three Catholic dioceses in Maryland. “Medicine is a noble profession.…Read More
The Justice Department (DOJ) is facing a wave of backlash as parents criticize its recent decision to investigate potential acts of violence against school boards across the country. It came after the National School Boards Association (NSBA) asked the Biden administration for assistance, suggesting that the threats and acts of violence were similar to domestic…Read More
Missouri on Tuesday evening executed Ernest Johnson, 61, an inmate convicted of murdering three people in the 1990s, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Johnson’s emergency appeal for a stay of execution. The Holy See had also advocated for a halt to the execution. In an unsigned order on Tuesday evening, the Supreme Court denied…Read More
A judge Monday blocked Oklahoma laws that would have banned abortions if a fetal heartbeat can be detected and would have deemed abortions as “unprofessional conduct” by doctors. The judge, however, refused to block enforcement of a new law that requires abortion doctors in Oklahoma to be board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology. “This court … believes that irreparable…Read More
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has urged President Biden to have opponents of Critical Race Theory (CRT) investigated and prosecuted under federal anti-terrorism laws—even though the group did not identify any significant instance of organized terrorism associated with CRT opponents who have spoken out at school board meetings across the nation. In response, Oklahoma…Read More
Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, and 12 additional state senators, sent a letter to the Executive Director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA), Shawn Hime, on Friday, asking him to denounce statements from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent to President Joe Biden. Daniels referenced a letter sent by NSBA to the president…Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year that Oklahoma had no criminal jurisdiction over a Native American on the Muscogee Creek reservation should apply to all prior criminal cases in Oklahoma involving Indians on reservations, lawyers for a Native American inmate told the court this week. A petition filed on Wednesday for Clifton Merrill Parish says…Read More
Academic achievement in Oklahoma public schools plunged during the COVID shutdowns that began in spring 2020 and continued in many districts throughout much of the following school year, based on the newly released results of state academic testing presented to the State Board of Education. Fewer than one in four Oklahoma students performed at grade…Read More
People should pray especially for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s change of heart on abortion, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco has said in an announcement of a prayer campaign for her. “A conversion of heart of the majority of our Congressional representatives is needed on this issue, beginning with the leader of the House, Speaker…Read More
The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has urged President Biden to have opponents of Critical Race Theory (CRT) investigated and prosecuted under federal anti-terrorism laws—even though the group did not identify any significant instance of organized terrorism associated with CRT opponents who have spoken out at school board meetings across the nation. In response, Oklahoma…Read More
Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, and 12 additional state senators, sent a letter to the Executive Director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA), Shawn Hime, on Friday, asking him to denounce statements from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent to President Joe Biden. Daniels referenced a letter sent by NSBA to the president…Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last year that Oklahoma had no criminal jurisdiction over a Native American on the Muscogee Creek reservation should apply to all prior criminal cases in Oklahoma involving Indians on reservations, lawyers for a Native American inmate told the court this week. A petition filed on Wednesday for Clifton Merrill Parish says…Read More
Academic achievement in Oklahoma public schools plunged during the COVID shutdowns that began in spring 2020 and continued in many districts throughout much of the following school year, based on the newly released results of state academic testing presented to the State Board of Education. Fewer than one in four Oklahoma students performed at grade…Read More
Results are in from the first state tests administered to Oklahoma students since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and the numbers should be alarming, the state superintendent said. While test participation rates were off overall, State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said they are still among the highest participation rates in the nation and offer clear…Read More
Oklahoma state officials plan to carry out seven executions over the next five months. They will be the first executions in Oklahoma in nearly seven years. This comes at a time when a federal court has agreed to look at the state’s problematic lethal injection protocol as part of a pending lawsuit that questions the…Read More
Patrick Raglow, executive director of Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City, learned that the youngest members of a family of Afghan refugees newly arrived to Oklahoma were trying to wash their feet, along with their face, hands and arms before prayer, as is custom in their Islamic faith. Many observant Muslims perform a purification ritual before prayer and many mosques are designed…Read More
Results are in from the first state tests administered to Oklahoma students since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, and the numbers should be alarming, the state superintendent said. While test participation rates were off overall, State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said they are still among the highest participation rates in the nation and offer clear…Read More
Oklahoma state officials plan to carry out seven executions over the next five months. They will be the first executions in Oklahoma in nearly seven years. This comes at a time when a federal court has agreed to look at the state’s problematic lethal injection protocol as part of a pending lawsuit that questions the…Read More
Patrick Raglow, executive director of Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City, learned that the youngest members of a family of Afghan refugees newly arrived to Oklahoma were trying to wash their feet, along with their face, hands and arms before prayer, as is custom in their Islamic faith. Many observant Muslims perform a purification ritual before prayer and many mosques are designed…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that he will not decide on whether to commute Julius Jones’ sentence, which the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended he do, until after a clemency hearing on Jones’ case is completed. Stitt issued the following statement on Tuesday evening: “I am not accepting the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced that he will not decide on whether to commute Julius Jones’ sentence, which the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended he do, until after a clemency hearing on Jones’ case is completed. Stitt issued the following statement on Tuesday evening: “I am not accepting the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt said he is leaning on his faith and the advice of former Oklahoma governors as he carefully considers whether to commute the sentence of a high-profile death row inmate. Stitt said Friday he is still considering whether to commute the sentence of Julius Jones, whose case has garnered national attention. “It certainly is something…Read More
Pope Francis is expected to receive Joe Biden on Oct. 29, in the U.S. president’s first official visit to the Vatican since his inauguration, according to sources at the Apostolic Palace. The sources told CNA on Sept. 25 that their information came directly from the Prefecture for the Pontifical Household. Though encounters with heads of…Read More
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a pair of bills Sept. 22 that relate to privacy surrounding abortion, and a policy expert commented to CNA that the laws highlight the importance of parent-child communication regarding difficult topics such as abortion. Kathleen Domingo, Executive Director of the California Catholic Conference, told CNA that the new laws, while…Read More
Gov. Kevin Stitt said he is leaning on his faith and the advice of former Oklahoma governors as he carefully considers whether to commute the sentence of a high-profile death row inmate. Stitt said Friday he is still considering whether to commute the sentence of Julius Jones, whose case has garnered national attention. “It certainly is something…Read More
Oklahoma abortion clinics are seeing a surge in out-of-state patients after Texas recently implemented the strictest anti-abortion law in the country. Women are traveling from as far as Houston, Galveston and Corpus Christi to seek an abortion in Oklahoma City. A spokesman for the Trust Women clinic in Oklahoma estimates the facility has seen an eightfold increase in patients traveling from Texas. One…Read More
Oklahoma abortion clinics are seeing a surge in out-of-state patients after Texas recently implemented the strictest anti-abortion law in the country. Women are traveling from as far as Houston, Galveston and Corpus Christi to seek an abortion in Oklahoma City. A spokesman for the Trust Women clinic in Oklahoma estimates the facility has seen an eightfold increase in patients traveling from Texas. One…Read More
Dozens of Oklahoma state lawmakers are calling on Governor Kevin Stitt to order an independent investigation into the case of a death row prisoner. The lawmakers are even taking Richard Glossip’s case to national TV. A documentary about Glossip a few years ago titled “Killing Richard Glossip” continues to get international attention. Now, there is…Read More
The United States evacuated about 65,000 refugees out of Afghanistan last month as the Taliban took over Kabul and most of Afghanistan. Many of those refugees are being dispersed throughout the U.S., including almost 2,000 people here in Oklahoma. They were originally expected to arrive in the Sooner State as soon as early September, but…Read More
Dozens of Oklahoma state lawmakers are calling on Governor Kevin Stitt to order an independent investigation into the case of a death row prisoner. The lawmakers are even taking Richard Glossip’s case to national TV. A documentary about Glossip a few years ago titled “Killing Richard Glossip” continues to get international attention. Now, there is…Read More
The United States evacuated about 65,000 refugees out of Afghanistan last month as the Taliban took over Kabul and most of Afghanistan. Many of those refugees are being dispersed throughout the U.S., including almost 2,000 people here in Oklahoma. They were originally expected to arrive in the Sooner State as soon as early September, but…Read More