(mostly stupid) New bills introduced in Oklahoma: 2016 edition

[Conan71]

Who gets his hair cut like this?

A closeted Oklahoma legislator.

[swake]

A closeted Oklahoma legislator.

Yeah, read his bio.
http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/dahm_bio.aspx

He's unmarried and his "education" is that of a home schooled high school graduate. His work experience is working on missions trips and at bible schools, working for his parents cleaning company and I am not making this up:

"Former Producer, Local Production Company" and currently "self-employed with his own app development company"


he's totally qualified to write laws that pertain to the medical field......

[Townsend]

Yeah, read his bio.
http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/dahm_bio.aspx

He's unmarried and his "education" is that of a home schooled high school graduate. His work experience is working on missions trips and at bible schools, working for his parents cleaning company and I am not making this up:

"Former Producer, Local Production Company" and currently "self-employed with his own app development company"

he's totally qualified to write laws that pertain to the medical field......

For the love of Christ, what is wrong with the voters in this state?

[Conan71]

For the love of Christ, what is wrong with the voters in this state?

They're all app developers living in their parent's basement?

[cannon_fodder]

And the hits keep on coming...

House Passes Resolution for Vote on Striking Church-State Separation from State Constitution

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has just done everything they can do to strip the Separation of Church and State from the Oklahoma Constitution.

The provision in question is Article 2, section 5:

§ 5. Public money or property - Use for sectarian purposes.

No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such.

That is the only clause in the Oklahoma Constitution on Separation of Church and State. This helps the House reach several of its goals: directly funding madrasas (religious schools), putting monuments to Christ on government property, and adopting Sharia law. Wait, no, not that last one. That's still bad.

[AquaMan]

It also paves the way for the great spaghetti monster thing. I'm excited. I thought there was a bottom to their madness. It is infinite.

[swake]

Apparently a number of state legislators are unaware of the 1st Amendment:

Tulsa World Editorial: UnAmerican bill targets animal rights groups

The Oklahoma House of Representatives is seeking to stifle free speech, and it ought to be ashamed of itself.
Earlier this month, on a 56-26 vote, the House approved House Bill 2250, which would prohibit animal rights charitable organizations from raising money for political purposes. The bill by Rep. Brian Renegar, D-McAlester, also would prohibit the groups, such as the Humane Society USA, from raising money in Oklahoma for any purpose outside the state.

It stems from a disputed series of events involving the humane society following the 2013 Moore tornado, but what happened then isn't important. What's important is what the Legislature is trying to do, which is just plain wrong.
If it's not clear why it's wrong, take out the phrase "animal rights charitable organization" in the bill's language and insert some cause you support. Imagine if the Legislature tried to ban the National Rifle Association or the Democratic Party from raising money for political purposes. Imagine if the state tried to ban the American Cancer Society or the American Red Cross from raising money in Oklahoma for programs in other states.
It's ridiculous. It's wrong. It's un-American.
Voicing political opinions, even unpopular opinions, is a constitutional right, and raising money is part of that right. There's no legitimate reason why the state should prevent any charity from raising money to spend anywhere.
HB 2250 is bad legislation, and we hope it never sees the light of day in the state Senate.

FREEDOM!!!

[cynical]

Not satisfied with only a 1st Amendment violation, Renegar doubled down with a Commerce Clause violation for good measure.

Apparently a number of state legislators are unaware of the 1st Amendment:

Tulsa World Editorial: UnAmerican bill targets animal rights groups
FREEDOM!!!

[cannon_fodder]

No, no , no. They love the US Constitution. Except:

Article 1, Section 8 - right to levy taxes and pay its debt obligations
Article 1, Section 8 - Commerce Clause
Article 3 - separation of powers, Judicial Power
Article 4 - Full Faith and Credit to the laws of other states
1st Amendment - where other people get to raise money and exercise their right to speech
1st Amendment - separation of church and state
2nd Amendment - the first clause about a "well regulated militia"
4th Amendment - unreasonable search and seizure, unless we totally know you are a bad person
6th Amendment - Speedy criminal trials
7th Amendment - right to civil jury trials
8th Amendment - excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments
14th Amendment - Due Process to the States, making the Supremacy Clause on a host of issues actually matter
21st Amendment - Repeal of prohibition, Oklahoma has never ratified or even voted on the 21st Amendment

Other than those few details, they almost fully support it.

[heironymouspasparagus]

That is the only clause in the Oklahoma Constitution on Separation of Church and State. This helps the House reach several of its goals: directly funding madrasas (religious schools), putting monuments to Christ on government property, and adopting Sharia law. Wait, no, not that last one. That's still bad.

Sharia law IS the old law of Abraham....so, yeah, they want Sharia law, but without the "Mooslem" name....

[heironymouspasparagus]

As always, one can always count on the worst from the Okrahoma legislature.  This too is unconstitutional, but shows the mind set that animal abuse is just fine with us....   I am still surprised they outlawed cock-fighting....


http://blog.humanesociety.org/wayne/2016/03/oklahoma-lawmakers-try-sending-a-lifeline-to-puppy-mill-operators.html

[Townsend]

It's like Oklahoma elected the regulars on the Tulsa World comment section.

[Conan71]

It's like Oklahoma elected the regulars on the Tulsa World comment section.

"They eyes!!! They eyes!!!! They're bleeding!!!"

[cannon_fodder]

Boy, we keep hitting the national news:

HB3098 - Constitutional Open Carry

Basically, everyone has a "god given right to defend" themselves and a Second Amendment right to open carry (not true), so everyone can do as they see fit with no requirements at all. When asked about removing any requirements for safety training the author replied "gun owners are free to get all the training they think they need."

It eliminates any need for a permit to open carry, removes any qualifications for safety training, and removes any need for judges to have a permit before being allowed to carry firearms in Courthouses, removes any enforcement ability of colleges, removes the requirement that police officers get a certificate of good standing from Cleet before being allowed to carry firearms off duty to all the places officers are privileged to carry, eliminates the provision when an officer is fired, suspended or under investigation he turns over his CLEET firearm permit, the OSBI can issue a license to any person who is authorized to carry a firearm when traveling outside this state (anyone who asks can get a "license" and carry in any reciprocating state), and removes all enforcement language.

Remember our threads about learning from our neighbors?  Missouri has already done what Oklahoma is doing. Step by step elimination of firearm regulation. And it resulted in more firearm crime, including a higher murder rate.

Johns Hopkins used Missouri as a case study and compared the actual effects of the changes in a scientific survey (controlling for other factors etc.).  Eliminating the requirement to have a permit to purchase a handgun was responsible for a 23% increase in firearm deaths and saw no correlation to the rate of other murders (in other words, those people would not have died).  Overall, that is a 16% in the homicide rate in Missouri, while the national average fell by 11% during the same period.

The firearm homicide rate went up from slightly above national average, to 47% above national average. Accidental shootings are up. The percentage of recently purchase firearms used in crimes also went up according to the ATF. Suicide by firearm went up 16%. Missouri has more guns, easier access to guns, and the ability to carry guns dang near wherever you want whenever you want. And is less safe.

Study, after study, after study, after study, after study, after study debunks the myth that more guns makes communities safer. There certainly are responsible gun owners who I am happy to see armed, because responsible, trainer, sober people are capable of making life and death decisions. But that certainly doesn't apply to most people, and the statistics reveal that it simply doesn't make us any safer.

But hey, who needs to legislate based on facts?

[Conan71]

What got me was one of the legislators reading scripture as justification to support this bill.  Let's just get it over with and have a constitutional convention to completely overhaul the existing constitution.  You know this is coming, right?




Lot of smiting, smoting, stoning 'n' stuff.