Latest news with #Deevers
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rep. state senator files resolution to overturn ruling making gay marriage legal
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — There is growing reaction Tuesday night as a Republican state lawmaker calls on the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its ruling, making gay marriage legal. LGBTQ+ advocates say they are annoyed that, in this day and age, legislators are still trying to define what love is for everyone. 'For the Oklahoma legislature to choose at this moment to say that they don't value the sanctity of marriage between queer constituents is definitely concerning,' Nicole McAfee, Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma said. After more than 40 years, the fight to legalize same-sex marriage on the federal level came to an end back in 2015. Bill to ban DEI in Oklahoma higher education heads to governor's desk The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution does not limit marriage rights. Now, Republican Senator Dusty Deevers (R-Elgin), alongside Republican Representative Jim Olsen (R-Roland), have filed a resolution, calling for U.S. Supreme Court justices, most of them conservative, to overturn the 2015 ruling. As part of their reasoning, Deevers and Olsen say Oklahoma voters codified marriage as being only between a man and a woman back in 2007. Both believe the 2015 ruling has taken power away from the states. They point directly to the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe versus Wade, removing federal protections for abortion access, and sending the issue back to each individual state to regulate. 'It is not a policy matter,' McAfee said. 'It doesn't carry the force of law. There is not a case that the Supreme Court has taken up that would impact Obergefell in the immediate term.' However, it is still sparking concern among LGBTQ+ Oklahomans. 'He is showing the people in Oklahoma, the LGBTQ+ community in Oklahoma, that their elected officials just simply do not care about them,' Tessa White, President of Oklahoma Pride said. They say if the decision were to be reversed, it would uproot life for thousands of families. 'Look at how this would be affecting LGBTQ+ families and their children,' White said. 'Health care, child custody, insurance, medical decisions that need to be made, and housing.' News 4 has reached out to Senator Deevers, Representative Olsen, as well as other legislators who back the resolution, but we have not heard back. Freedom Oklahoma says it will continue to help comfort those in times of uncertainty. 'I hope that in this moment, when it feels like despair is heavy, that we can continue to create spaces for people to come together and to find joy and community and live our full lives with our spouses and our partners and our families, as we always have here,' McAfee said. It is unclear if the resolution will be heard in the state senate, which cannot direct the actions of the nation's highest court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Oklahoma City.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Public obscenity bill that could impact drag shows heads to Oklahoma governor
Sens. David Bullard, R-Durant, left, and Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, speak on the Senate floor ahead of the chamber's organizational day on Jan. 7, 2025. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Thursday sent Gov. Kevin Stitt a bill that would bar obscene performances on public property or areas where minors are present despite concerns that it is unconstitutional and aimed at impacting drag shows. House Bill 1217 makes it a crime to engage in adult performances, or to permit them, on public property where a minor could view them. Violators would be guilty of a misdemeanor subject to a fine of up to $1,000, one year in jail or both. Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, the Senate author, said the bill does not mention drag shows. 'If the behavior is obscene, regardless of dress, then it should not be allowed in front of minors,' Bullard said. Critics said state law already prohibits obscene displays. They said the measure targets drag performances, the LGBTQ+ community and violates constitutionally protected free speech rights. 'Let's be clear from the outset that House Bill 1217 is an anti-speech, anti-queer, anti-art bill masquerading as a protection against obscenity,' said Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City. 'It does not use the word drag. But make no mistake. This bill is absolutely about drag.' Opposing the bill is a 'wink at corruption,' said Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin. 'We are living in a time where grown men parade around in lingerie and exaggerated prosthetics, performing in front of wide-eyed toddlers in public and at libraries, and some call that progress,' Deevers said. 'That's not progress. It is perversion. And Jesus calls it evil.' Deevers asked why it is acceptable to arrest someone for exposing themselves at a park, but not when they 'wear exaggerated prosthetics and gyrate in front of children.' Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, said because the language is so broad, it could ban theatrical performances, cultural performances and cheerleading routines. 'What this is really about is one small group in our community, a group of our neighbors, making another small group in our community uncomfortable, and so we're going to have a piece of legislation to go after one group because it makes another group uncomfortable,' Mann said. Sen. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, said there was a time when Elvis Presley, known for gyrating his hips, could only be videoed from the top up because some felt he was so sexually obscene that it was not good for public viewing. The measure passed by a vote of 39-8. This story was updated at 3:33 p.m. to better describe the bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Newsweek
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
GOP Lawmaker Denounces Supreme Court's Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers, a evangelical pastor, said that the Supreme Court's Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, is not "settled law," arguing that there is "no right to gay marriage." Newsweek filled out an online contact form for Deevers via the Oklahoma Senate on Thursday. Why It Matters Deevers' comments come amid a broader conservative push in several red states to challenge the legal foundations of same-sex marriage. Conservative lawmakers in five states have introduced various measures encouraging the Supreme Court to strike down Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 decision that established the nationwide right to same-sex marriage. Conservative Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito have previously signaled in a court dissent that the case should be reconsidered. Since the Supreme Court's 5-4 Obergefell ruling, the court has shifted to a more conservative majority after President Donald Trump appointed three justices during his first term. The court has also overturned previous decisions, doing so most notably in 2022 regarding the abortion rights established in the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973. A majority of Americans, 67 percent, support same-sex marriage, though a 2024 Gallup poll found Republicans are less likely to back it than Democrats. What To Know On Monday's episode of Washington Watch, a Christian talk radio show with Tony Perkins, Deevers said that "court opinions can be referred to as settled law only if they are rooted firmly in the Constitution, and the heritage and tradition of the American people and the fact is Obergefell is fundamentally antithetical to all of these." He continued, "Ultimately, marriage is not the state's institution, its God's institution." The remarks by Deevers and his legislative agenda underscore a renewed conservative strategy to challenge Obergefell through state-level measures. In January, Deevers introduced the Covenant Marriage Act in Oklahoma, which he said would "give the option to religious citizens of Oklahoma who wanted a more meaningful form of marriage, to opt into a covenant marriage that didn't have a no-fault divorce clause, and it would have given them a tax credit for doing so." Republican Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers poses for a photo on April 9 inside the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. Republican Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers poses for a photo on April 9 inside the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. AP Photo/Sean Murphy The legislation did not pass the judiciary committee earlier this year. June will mark the 10th anniversary of Obergefell. What People Are Saying Sean Meloy, vice president of political programs at the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, told The Guardian in March: "Attacks on fundamental rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, including marriage equality—which was already decided by the highest court and codified into federal law—are hateful distractions." Mat Staver, chairman of the conservative Christian ministry Liberty Counsel, said in a video in February: "There is no so-called constitutional right in the Constitution to same-sex marriage, that's ridiculous," adding that "it's not an if, it's just a matter of when" Obergefell will be overturned. Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Democrat, previously told Newsweek: "The Supreme Court wisely recognized in the Obergefell decision that our Constitution guarantees the freedom to marry the person you love, and that fundamental right should not be subject to the anti-LGBTQ biases of a state legislature. The partner you choose is not the government's choice nor should it be. GOP politicians must get out of the business of persecuting their own citizens." Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a video posted on X in March: "In Michigan, everyone has the freedom to marry who they love. It's not only the law of the land, it's a nonnegotiable. Right now, however, some extreme members of the Michigan Legislature are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality. Here's my response to that: 'Hell no.' We've fought a long, hard fight to win marriage equality and we will always protect our family, our friends and neighbors from hateful attacks." President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social, his social media platform, on Easter morning: "We are, together, going to make America bigger, better, stronger, wealthier, healthier, and more religious, than it has ever been before!!! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!" What Happens Next? As more state legislators put forward resolutions calling for the Supreme Court to revisit same-sex marriage, marriage equality is poised to reenter the national political spotlight.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate advances bill to protect Oklahoma religious services from protests
State Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, attends a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on Oct. 3, 2023. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Thursday advanced a bill that could imprison protesters who interrupt a religious service. Critics said the prohibition, which extends to one mile of the religious service, violates free speech rights. Senate Bill 743 makes it a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 and or one year in prison to willfully disturb a worship service within one mile of a church. A second offense would be a felony and carry a fine of $1,000 and or two years in prison. It would apply to those who protest or demonstrate without a license by the proper authority. Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville, said the protest would have to be directed at the worship facility. He is the author of Senate Bill 743. The nation's Founding Fathers and Pilgrims crossed oceans to get here so they could worship without prosecution and do so in peace and tranquility, Gollihare said. He said the measure strengthens existing law. Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, said the bill seeks to stop disruptive, threatening behavior around houses of worship. It does not apply to peaceful protests, he said. But Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, said he's concerned that it would impact those protesting or sharing the Gospel outside Planned Parenthood clinics located within a mile of a church. Deevers said he remembered when the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church tried to picket at his church. 'We asked them to move to a public easement and would not suppress their First Amendment rights,' Deevers said. The Westboro Baptist Church, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, has held controversial protests across the country, including at the funerals of deceased military personnel. Deevers said the bill is a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech. Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, said the bill gives the government a tool to erode or diminish the right to free speech, to assemble and to protest. 'I don't like anyone disrupting a church, a mosque or a synagogue for any reason,' Jett said. 'It is inappropriate. I may not like what people have to say, but they have a right to say what they want.' The bill passed by a vote of 43-4 and is available for consideration in the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bill advances requiring fewer trips to the pharmacy for women's contraception
Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, asks a question about a bill on May 30, 2024. (Photo by Barbara Hoberock/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would make it easier for women to obtain contraceptives despite opposition from a small bloc of Republicans who put up a lengthy argument that it results in murder. Senate Bill 176, by Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, would require insurance companies that cover contraceptives to allow women to obtain a six month supply, reducing the number of annual visits to the pharmacy, after obtaining a three-month prescription. Dossett said the bill was not about abortion, but aimed to increase access to preventative contraceptive medications. Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, disagreed and cited the The Physicians' Desk Reference. 'It induces the abortion or murder of a human embryo since a new human being has been created at fertilization, which is conception,' Deevers said. Deevers asked Dossett if she believed 'abortion is murder' and a violation of Oklahoma law and the Bible's sixth Commandment, which prohibits killing. While most women rely on the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy, oral contraception is used to treat other conditions, including acne, irregular periods, cramps, migraines and endometriosis. KFF reported in November that 82% of women of reproductive age used contraception in the past year, with condoms and oral birth control being the most common. Deevers focused on the side effects of various forms of contraception and the personal experiences of he and his wife. 'These drugs are very dangerous,' he said. Deevers said that women's brains shrink while on birth control, leading to more depression and anger and increased rates of suicide. He also said women experience a decreased sexual drive, leading to less intercourse while on hormonal birth control. He did not cite a source for that information. Deevers said that women using a combination of oral birth control and the patch or the vaginal ring have two to four times higher rate of blood clots, thus an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and cervical cancer. Medical experts say there is a small risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks for women using birth control, though they note that women's risk of experiencing the first two medical conditions is actually higher during pregnancy. Taking oral birth control for five or more years can increase the risk of cervical cancer, but the risk subsides after stopping the pill, according to the American Cancer Society. There is no known risk of cancer for women who use non-hormonal intrauterine devices, or IUDs. Women do not take medication they don't want, Dossett said. No one is being forced to take birth control, she said. She said she preferred not to talk about what people do in the privacy of their homes. Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, said enabling women to plan a pregnancy leads to healthier outcomes and improved economic stability. Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, urged his colleagues not to increase women's access. 'I'm begging you to not do this, not only for the children whose lives will be saved, but also for the women who will not be harmed by taking these so-called medications,' Hamilton said. The bill passed by a vote of 33-13 and is available for consideration in the House. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
