Olsen Files Bill to Display Ten Commandments in Public School Classrooms
OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 2nd) – Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, has filed legislation to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public school classrooms.
House Bill 2962, filed Friday, would require each classroom to clearly display a poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments, measuring at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. The bill also outlines the specific text to be used for the display.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) released a TV ad featuring Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb encouraging Oklahomans to vote “yes” on State Question 790. The multiple six-figure ad buy will run in multiple markets across Oklahoma through Election Day.
“I’m proud to call Oklahoma home – a state where we love our neighbors, respect our differences and work together to make our state the best it can be,” said Lt. Governor Lamb. “These fundamental values are precisely why I believe we most vote ‘yes’ on 790 and get rid of the Blaine Amendment once and for all. Our state should always be a place where religious freedom is encouraged, where prayer is welcome before the big game, where fundamental services are available at all hospitals, and where parents have a wider range of opportunities and choices when planning their children’s education. I am hopeful that this TV ad will continue giving voters the information that they need to move our state forward by voting ‘yes’ on State Question 790 this Election Day.”
“Freedom is the most basic right we have as Americans," said RSLC President Matt Walter. "I encourage all Oklahomans to vote 'yes' on 790 to ensure that this right is respected in the Sooner State. Getting rid of the Blaine Amendment is vital to ensuring that people of faith can continue to provide critical public services - from healthcare to education - that will benefit the entire state. Our new ad sheds a light on what is truly at stake this November. Oklahomans should vote 'yes' on State Question 790."
“Through my work with the national Republican Lieutenant Governors Association, a caucus within the RSLC, I have found that this organization shares our conservative Oklahoma values,” Lamb added. “I am glad that I have been able to enlist their support for this critical issue that is about more than the freedom to acknowledge and display our religious heritage, but is really about protecting the ways our state works together to improve the lives of Oklahomans.”
About the RSLC The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country and the only national organization whose mission is to elect Republicans to multiple down-ballot, state-level offices. Since 2002, the RSLC has been working to elect candidates to the offices of lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state legislator, the judiciary and other down-ticket races. The RSLC has more than 150,000 donors in all 50 states. During the 2013-2014 election cycle, the RSLC was active in all 50 states and picked up ten new state legislative chambers, leading to an all-time historic high of 69 chambers controlled by Republicans. Following the 2015 elections, Republicans now hold 32 total Republican lieutenant governor seats, along with a Republican majority of secretaries of state, now at 28. The RSLC successfully expanded the Future Majority Project and Right Women, Right Now initiatives, spending more than $6 million in direct support of Republican candidates of diverse descent and women, leading to the election of 164 new candidates. Last cycle, the RSLC also launched the Judicial Fairness Initiative and the new top-level domain for the Republican Party, ‘.gop.’ To learn more about the RSLC, please visit www.rslc.gop or follow @RSLC on Twitter.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Friday commented on Oklahoma’s victory in a lawsuit brought by the ACLU challenging a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol.
“Today’s ruling is a clear message that the Ten Commandments can be displayed on public grounds like the Oklahoma Capitol because of the historical role the text has played in the founding of our nation. The Ten Commandments monument on the Oklahoma Capitol grounds is constitutional because of its historical value. The U.S. Supreme Court found constitutional a nearly identical monument in Texas. We were confident in the state’s case from the start and appreciate the court’s thoughtful consideration and ruling in the state’s favor,” Attorney General Pruitt said.
An Oklahoma County judge Friday granted Oklahoma’s motion for summary judgment and ruled the monument was constitutional.
In Van Orden v. Perry, the U.S. Supreme Court found constitutional a nearly identical Ten Commandments monument in Texas based on the historical value of the text on the monument. The Oklahoma Ten Commandments monument was based on the Texas monument.
This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).
The Conservative View by Russell Turner
Nausea and Political Correctness
I have never played the stock market because it is a place that can land you in the poor house before you know it. Those that make a lot of money in the market often do a lot of research before they invest. I have heard of people that learned of an innovative invention that some company developed, then invested in that company and made a hefty return. I guess that everything that we do in life is a gamble. We gamble on the profession that we choose to make a living or the choice we make in choosing a husband or wife. From the news headlines that I have seen over the past year or so, I think a sure fire investment would be to invest in Pepto Bismol.
It is very evident that the politically correct crowd is so afraid that the Christian religion will offend someone or some group that they must remove this vile set of beliefs from any public view. I have written about the people in Haskell County in Oklahoma who were forced to remove a monument from their courthouse lawn that had the Mayflower Compact and the Ten Commandments inscribed on it.
We Americans may have become a victim of our own success. Have we grown so arrogant that we believe that all of the greatness of this nation was a result of us being more intelligent than the rest of the world or maybe the way we parted our hair? Our founders realized for our country to prosper we needed the help of a higher power. The U.S. leaders have called for a day of prayer during times of crisis since 1775 but the tradition is under attack. Many Americans are familiar with the name Billy Graham and his organization and his work to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have spent many hours listening to Mr. Graham and I never once heard him call for violence against anyone who did not prescribe to his belief system. His message was that it is the choice of the individual to accept or reject his beliefs. Recently his son Franklin Graham was invited to speak at a Pentagon prayer service, but that invitation has been rescinded because some groups disagree with his comments about Islam. I have never heard the Grahams call someone (who didn’t believe as they do) an infidel and suggest that they be killed because of their non-belief. Can the Muslims say the same thing? For now I will just buy an extra bottle of Pepto.
If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.
This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).
The Conservative View by Russell Turner
Sleeping in History Class
Earlier this week I saw the news report on the court decision that will force the people of Haskell County in Oklahoma to remove a monument from their court house lawn in Stigler. For the people who do not know, the monument had some very objectionable inscriptions on it. On one side the Mayflower Compact was carved and on the other side was the most objectionable inscription, the Ten Commandments. For those that are so offended by the Ten Commandments being in public view on county property, evidently they were asleep when they were in American history class while in school.
All of western law is based upon those simple Ten Commandments. Our country was not founded upon the Koran or any other religion. Unlike other religions, the God that gave us the Ten Commandments allows us the free will to accept or reject the code of conduct in those simple ten rules. Our country is very young compared to other societies; in less than 250 years our nation achieved a level of prosperity that no other nation ever came close too. Other nations have been in existence for many hundreds or thousands of years, fortunately our founders had the wisdom to see the flaws of those countries.
In many countries the people are led to believe that the rights and freedoms that the citizens have come from the government or some religious leader. In our country it is clearly stated that all men are endowed by the CREATOR the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I assume that the people that are so offended by the monument in Stigler would want to remove all aspects of the principles on which our nation was founded. Do they want to destroy the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution? Do they want to stop the practice of having a president being sworn in while his or her hand is on the Bible? Do they want to remove the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” from our currency?
To me it seems so strange that we are willing to spend all kinds of money and time fighting a losing battle on the war on drugs and all of the other crimes that our citizens are committing at an increasing rate. Would the monument in Stigler cure all of those ills? Probably not, but I can say for sure that the monument wouldn’t make the situation any worse.
If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.
