Okla Legislature 2nd Worse in Nation

[tulsabug]

" But... but... but... FREEDOM!!!!!  "


The Oklahoma House of Representatives apparently heard its last few bills of the session Wednesday afternoon, including one that would prohibit schools, colleges and universities from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations.

Senate Bill 658, by Sen. Rob Standridge, also would make it more difficult for schools to impose mask mandates and would ban them from requiring unvaccinated students to wear masks.

Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, and Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Sallisaw, couched the issue in terms of personal freedom and parental rights, while opponents said individuals should not have the freedom to jeopardize the health and safety of those around them.

"Every once in awhile it's about community, about looking out for your neighbor," said Rep. Forrest Bennett, R-Oklahoma City. "I think five, 10, 15 years from now, we'll look back on this and some of us will think differently about it. I think some will feel a little bit embarrassed."

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/house-passes-anti-vaccination-measure-may-be-finished-for-the-session/article_c17be01c-be47-11eb-9e96-d332432cd4bc.html

I for one am all for unvaccinated people to be able to mingle, sing and lick each other without being hindered my masks. Never correct your enemy when they're making a mistake. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Why does Dr. Fauci's boss, Dr Francis Collins work with gene therapy?

Awwww....plaintive bleat moment from the Russia Brigade!   

Newscrax/OAN not keeping up with their insanity fast enough for you??

[patric]

At least 10 US states have siphoned millions of dollars from federal block grants, meant to provide aid to their neediest families, to pay for the operations of ideological anti-abortion clinics.

These overwhelmingly Republican-led states used money from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (Tanf), better known as welfare or direct cash aid, to fund the activities of anti-abortion clinics associated with the evangelical right.

In all cases, the states used these funds even as Covid-19 caused the worst economic upheaval in nearly a century, left one in four families without enough to eat, and resulted in mass layoffs that had a disproportionate effect on low-income and racial minority Americans.

"They're not a replacement for Tanf, by any stretch of the imagination," said Andrea Swartzendruber, an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, whose research has focused on how crisis pregnancy centers operate.

Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas have used federal Tanf funds to support anti-abortion clinics.

In 2017, Oklahoma ranked number one in cuts to education and female incarceration. Nevertheless, the state chose to continue to divert Tanf funds to crisis pregnancy centers even amid chronic budget deficits.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/04/states-divert-federal-welfare-funding-anti-abortion-clinics

[patric]

He takes Inhofe's playbook one step further.  Lies, deceit, say anything about opponent - but especially if not true.  And Broken Arrow laps it up like a kitten lapping milk from a saucer.   And if you go back and look at the things he has introduced, it is true psycho-babble kindergarten time.

State Sen. Nathan Dahm threatened Tulsa Public Schools with legal action unless it submits to his demand to revoke requirements for students to wear masks on school buses.

In a letter emailed to every school principal in the district on Thursday, Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, wrote: "I encourage you to immediately reverse your illegal actions by revoking your requirement for students to wear masks on school buses. An immediate response to this letter is requested before further legal actions are taken."

Tulsa Public Schools, where classes begin next Thursday, has adopted a plan for 2021-22 that says it "expects" students and employees to wear masks indoors. But masks will be mandatory on school buses because district leaders said they must comply with federal rules requiring masks on public transportation.

Spokeswoman Emma Garrett Nelson said the district has not responded to Dahm's letter, and she reiterated that the district will be following a standing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order that requires face masks on public transportation conveyances.

That order specifically includes school buses, as well as airplanes, trains, subways and taxis.

But Dahm, whose District 33 includes a large swath of east Tulsa, said requiring students to wear masks on their school buses would violate a newly enacted state statute, Senate Bill 658.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/state-sen-nathan-dahm-threatens-tps-with-legal-action-for-plan-to-require-masks-on/article_9e042fd4-fc83-11eb-98c1-cb7d24c06472.html

[Red Arrow]

State Sen. Nathan Dahm threatened Tulsa Public Schools with legal action unless it submits to his demand to revoke requirements for students to wear masks on school buses.

In a letter emailed to every school principal in the district on Thursday, Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, wrote: "I encourage you to immediately reverse your illegal actions by revoking your requirement for students to wear masks on school buses. An immediate response to this letter is requested before further legal actions are taken."

Tulsa Public Schools, where classes begin next Thursday, has adopted a plan for 2021-22 that says it "expects" students and employees to wear masks indoors. But masks will be mandatory on school buses because district leaders said they must comply with federal rules requiring masks on public transportation.

Spokeswoman Emma Garrett Nelson said the district has not responded to Dahm's letter, and she reiterated that the district will be following a standing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order that requires face masks on public transportation conveyances.

That order specifically includes school buses, as well as airplanes, trains, subways and taxis.

But Dahm, whose District 33 includes a large swath of east Tulsa, said requiring students to wear masks on their school buses would violate a newly enacted state statute, Senate Bill 658.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/education/state-sen-nathan-dahm-threatens-tps-with-legal-action-for-plan-to-require-masks-on/article_9e042fd4-fc83-11eb-98c1-cb7d24c06472.html

Stupid is still stupid.

Unfortunately, leaving the Republican party will NOT fix this. The ONLY chance of fixing this stupidity is for the few of us sane Republicans remaining is to vote these IDIOTS out of office in the primaries.  I am not overly optimistic but the alternative is even less attractive.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Stupid is still stupid.

Unfortunately, leaving the Republican party will NOT fix this. The ONLY chance of fixing this stupidity is for the few of us sane Republicans remaining is to vote these IDIOTS out of office in the primaries.  I am not overly optimistic but the alternative is even less attractive.

Have been thinking about changing party just so can vote against guys like him.   Have been only voting against on the other side for long time, so now may be time to vote against them!

[patric]

Republican politicians use pulpit to amplify vaccine misinformation

While Gov. Kevin Stitt and many Republican lawmakers have stated they are not opposed to COVID-19 vaccines themselves, several politicians are citing religious beliefs while spreading misinformation.

From Gov. Kevin Stitt declaring a national day of prayer and fasting in response to the pandemic last December to Jackson Lahmeyer, a Tulsa pastor and U.S. Senate candidate, offering to sign religious exemptions for those who don't want to take the vaccine, politics often doesn't stray far from the religious realm.

With Oklahoma suing the Biden administration in five separate lawsuits to block various government vaccine mandates and House Republicans backing a special session to try to prevent private business mandates, the rhetoric around vaccines has been heightened.

Grace Community Church in Elgin hosted about 100 congregants, politicians and others for a one-day conference in October titled "Mandating Mask and Vaccines: By Whose Authority." The underlying message during the four-hour event was that individuals shouldn't follow government requirements if they have a moral opposition to vaccines.

State Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain was among the current and former state lawmakers invited to speak at the conference in Elgin.

In addition to calling the government vaccine mandates unconstitutional, he inaccurately stated that the "so-called vaccine" contains aborted fetal tissues and suggested vaccine injuries were far higher than reported. Hamilton also put himself at odds with the medical community, including the Oklahoma State Department of Health, by saying the vaccine is "neither safe nor effective."

"If you call yourself a Christian and you can square injecting yourself with the remains of murdered people, I'd say you've got some self reflection perhaps you need to do," Hamilton said after repeating the false and debunked claim that vaccines contained aborted fetal tissue.

In late November, Edmond's Fairview Baptist Church hosted a "Covid 19 Myth Busting Town Hall Meeting." Over the course of two hours, two speakers shared a presentation full of debunked or unverified medical advice, including that natural immunity is preferable over the vaccine (another claim that has been debunked) and suggesting there is a way to "flush" out or cure a person from the vaccine.

Following the talk, State Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, who is also running for U.S. Senate, told the crowd to spread the message.

"People are being inundated with false narratives from the media, from the news," Dahm said. "You are going to have to get the information out there ... so you have to volunteer the information, you are going to have to do it on social media — even if you get banned — you need to text message, you are going to have to send out emails, you are going to have to use every means possible."

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/oklahoma-watch-republican-politicians-use-pulpit-to-amplify-vaccine-misinformation/article_dad7e22e-61bf-11ec-9bab-e311f09190eb.html

[patric]

State Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, on Friday became the first Oklahoma legislator to say he intends to file anti-abortion legislation for the coming session similar to Texas' Senate Bill 8.

The Texas law, which is still being litigated, allows private citizens with no direct connection to the woman or fetus involved to sue anyone they think has facilitated an abortion for a woman who is past about six weeks of pregnancy.

"The pro-life citizens of Oklahoma should have the ability to help hold these doctors accountable," Roberts said in a press release.

The press release says Roberts' bill would allow anyone to sue a provider who performs "an abortion after conception" unless the procedure is "triage" to save the mother's life.

"Triage" generally refers to the process of determining which patients to treat first in a mass casualty situation.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-rep-sean-roberts-says-hell-file-texas-type-abortion-bill/article_01b19194-6ff1-11ec-88a7-8731731757f4.html

It gives him a chance to show off his vast knowledge of medical terminology.

[tulsabug]

State Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy, on Friday became the first Oklahoma legislator to say he intends to file anti-abortion legislation for the coming session similar to Texas' Senate Bill 8.

The Texas law, which is still being litigated, allows private citizens with no direct connection to the woman or fetus involved to sue anyone they think has facilitated an abortion for a woman who is past about six weeks of pregnancy.

"The pro-life citizens of Oklahoma should have the ability to help hold these doctors accountable," Roberts said in a press release.

The press release says Roberts' bill would allow anyone to sue a provider who performs "an abortion after conception" unless the procedure is "triage" to save the mother's life.

"Triage" generally refers to the process of determining which patients to treat first in a mass casualty situation.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-rep-sean-roberts-says-hell-file-texas-type-abortion-bill/article_01b19194-6ff1-11ec-88a7-8731731757f4.html

It gives him a chance to show off his vast knowledge of medical terminology.

[patric]

I for one am all for unvaccinated people to be able to mingle, sing and lick each other without being hindered my masks. Never correct your enemy when they're making a mistake. 

Appealing to a cult following:

Five bills aimed at shutting down local, federal and international laws, treaties and regulations the Oklahoma Legislature doesn't like cleared the House of Representatives' State Powers Committee on Tuesday with only the panel's lone Democrat voicing much concern.

Most of the measures address problems the Republican authors admitted don't currently exist, but they said they could — especially with a Democrat in the White House.

"When I get in a fight, I'm not going wait for you to hit me. I'm going to hit you first, and I'm going to keep hitting you. I'm not going to wait for them to smack me," Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, said by way of explaining House Bill 3290.

The other bills are HB 2982 and HB 2984 by Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell, HB 2973 by Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, and HB 3491 by Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore.

More than the others, Lepak's bill probably deals with the most immediate and far-reaching issue — greenhouse gas emissions.

HB 3491 would require legislative approval for all state and local greenhouse gas regulations or involvement in "state or regional programs prompted by the participation of the United States in international treaties or executive agreements or interstate compacts or agreements."

Lepak said he did not know where tribal governments would fit into the equation.

HB 2973, by Olsen, would block federal, state and local efforts to ban what the author called "change therapies" for people with gender dysphoria or sexual orientation other than heterosexual. It also would give parents or guardians the right to determine whether minors should receive such therapy.

Such therapy is currently legal everywhere in Oklahoma except the city of Norman, which has outlawed it. Olsen's bill would nullify that ordinance.

"The question is not whether change-allowing therapy is good or bad," Olsen said. "The great question before us is: Do we believe in freedom of speech and freedom of choice? If we believe in the Constitution at all, we have to affirm that we believe in these things."

The measure says it cannot be used as "justification" for the more extreme forms of what is generally called conversion therapy, including "physical pain, such as electroshock or electroconvulsive therapy, touch therapy, pornography exposure, or vomit-induction therapy," but it doesn't explicitly bar them, either.

Olsen said "national trends" make action on the issue imperative, but Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, argued that it mostly would lead to increased depression and suicide among young people.

HB 2982 would authorize the manufacture of noise suppressors for firearms without federal approval, providing the suppressors — commonly called silencers — are used only in the United States.

HB 2984 would prohibit state and local law officials from "enforcing, assisting in the enforcement of, or otherwise cooperating in the enforcement of a federal ban on firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition and ... from participating in any federal enforcement action implementing a federal ban on firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition."

Under questioning by Waldron, Hardin agreed that he knew of no examples that applied to his law but said — incorrectly — that President Joe Biden has said he "he's going to come after our firearms."

After two New York City police officers were shot recently with a gun stolen out of state, Biden reiterated his desire to crack down on the underground trafficking of guns to criminals and to reduce gun violence, but he has not proposed confiscating legally owned weapons from law-abiding citizens.

In the past, Biden has said he sees no reason for private citizens to own "AR-15s," an apparent reference to semi-automatic civilian versions of certain military weapons with fully automatic capability.

Humphrey's bill would limit government ownership of the state to 10% of its area. Humphrey said HB 3290 is in response to Biden's proposal to bring 30% of the nation's land and water resources under conservation by 2030. The administration says that would include private property managed under federally approved guidelines.

Humphrey said he's been told various government entities own about 7% of Oklahoma.
https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/house-committee-oks-bills-targeting-local-federal-interference/article_5a076c9a-89cf-11ec-9095-d7ed9bca636f.html






Legislation intended to limit federal authority over Oklahoma National Guard members passed its first test on Tuesday, the second day of the 2022 legislative session, with a do-pass vote from the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

House Bill 3902, by Rep. Chris Kannady, R-Oklahoma City, was described by the author as mostly cleanup and clarifying language, and it does include several matters related to the Oklahoma National Guard, including the Oklahoma Military Museum Board.

"Given what has happened this past year, we've had some issues, and we want to clarify the role of the National Guard in the state," Kannady said during Tuesday's committee meeting. "The federal government does substantially fund the National Guard in every state. The state budget for the National Guard is pretty minuscule compared to the federal funding."
Despite that, Kannady said, the National Guard "belongs under the authority of the state through the governor."

Oklahoma's previous adjutant general, Michael Thompson, was essentially forced out last year after he refused to ignore the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccination requirement.

Gov. Kevin Stitt tried to stop enforcement of the mandate on Guard members not in federal service but was shot down by U.S. District Judge Stephen Friot, who ruled that federal law is clear on the matter.

How changing state law might alter that conclusion remains to be seen.

Military personnel, including Guard members, receive more than a dozen other inoculations for similar reasons, but some object to the COVID-19 vaccine.

The bill also would allow the governor to waive most eligibility requirements for the position of adjutant general.
https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/bill-distancing-oklahoma-national-guard-from-federal-command-advances/article_ad1e9542-891c-11ec-8072-c312043db3da.html

[patric]

Is it not ironic that the factions that got Oklahoma HB 1674 (unlawfully obstruct a public street or highway) signed into  law, are also cheering on the trucker blockade at our northern borders? 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Is it not ironic that the factions that got Oklahoma HB 1674 (unlawfully obstruct a public street or highway) signed into  law, are also cheering on the trucker blockade at our northern borders? 

Not ironic so much as just plain old dishonest, lying, garbage.

[tulsabug]

Apparently there is a new House Bill floating around that is attempting to make bribery not only legal but also tax deductible!

Public school parents would get a tax credit for giving their kids' teachers a little extra money under legislation passed Wednesday by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

House Bill 3351, by Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, would allow a 100% credit on donations of up to $1,000 per child to what amounts to bonuses for specified teachers. The credits would be capped at a total of $5 million per year.

Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, who is carrying the bill for McCall, said there are some potential problems with the proposal, but he said those should not be allowed to "make perfect the enemy of the good."

"I don't think this is an end-all, be-all," said Echols. "I agree ... there needs to be ... continued investment in education. It's not a one-size fits-all. But I do believe what would happen as a result of this bill is that more money would go to education."

The concern was that most of the money would go to schools that need it the least — those with parents who could afford to contribute the $1,000 per child maximum.

"Wouldn't you agree this might end up increasing the inequities we already see between (schools) whose parents can already do something like this and parents who don't have the means to increase their child's teacher's salary?" asked Minority Floor Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman.

Echols said there are other ways to address low-income districts.

Under the terms of the bill, the contributions could only be made anonymously, only by parents and only for the benefit of specific teachers. It would leave determining the details of the transactions to the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Several members were skeptical that the identity of donors could remain secret, with one representative speculating that the bonuses could cause faculty infighting over the children of a community's best-heeled residents. Others questioned the possibility of favoritism — or the expectation of favoritism — based on which parents contributed the most.

Echols said he didn't believe that parents, by and large, would try to "manipulate" teachers through the program.

The bill passed 71-24, with a handful of Republicans joining all Democrats in opposition, and now heads to the Senate.

[patric]

(CNN) The Republican-controlled Oklahoma House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would lead to a near-total ban on abortion and would allow private citizens to enforce the law through civil litigation.

The bill would go much further than a Texas law it's modeled after that bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy and also allows enforcement through private civil lawsuits.
The Oklahoma proposal, House Bill 4327, would provide only one exception: to save the life of the mother.

Like Texas Senate Bill 8, the Oklahoma legislation would allow virtually any private individual to sue a person believed to have violated the law and be awarded at least $10,000 in damages.

It would affect not only abortion providers but also anyone who "aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion" or even simply "intends to engage in the conduct described by this act."

[heironymouspasparagus]

Just felt the need for some mid-course correction.  Time for George Carlin!  Shame he is dead - I can only imagine what he would have to say the last few years....

Oh, yeah...for those who don't remember or have not experienced his work, there are very rough edges here!  Snowflakes stay away!

.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt9vt-LeqnQ