U.S. Supreme Court to Consider St. Isidore Bid to Become Nation’s First Publicly Funded Religious School
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the case against what would be the nation’s first publicly funded religious school. The high court agreed Friday to hear the case over the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School.
The case was first decided by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of State Attorney General Gentner Drummond. Drummond argued against the Oklahoma Charter School Board, which voted to authorize St. Isidore’s contract.
The state supreme court held that because St. Isidore will evangelize its faith as part of its curriculum, it violates Oklahoma laws, the Oklahoma constitution and the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The school was set to open last August and would be managed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa.
Experts say this could be a hugely influential test case before the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority.
AG Drummond Pushes for Transfer of Convicted Murderer to Oklahoma for Execution
Attorney General Gentner Drummond is asking for convicted murderer George John Hanson to be transferred from federal prison in Louisiana prison to Oklahoma. The transfer would make it possible for Hanson to receive the death penalty.
Hanson is serving a life sentence plus 107 years in federal prison.
He was arrested by the feds after a series of armed robberies in Northeast Oklahoma.
But before the robberies, Hanson is alleged to have committed murder in Tulsa.
He was convicted for two 1999 deaths while he was already serving his sentence. The Tulsa County District Court gave him the death penalty.
Even though he was scheduled to be executed in Oklahoma in 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons denied his transfer out of the federal prison where he’s being held.
The bureau has said it’s not in “the public interest.”
But Drummond still wants Hanson transferred back to be executed. He hopes Trump’s Department of Justice will make that possible.
OKC Homeless Advocate Criticizes Bill Criminalizing Shopping Cart Possession
An Oklahoma City advocate for the homeless is critical of a bill to make it a crime to take or possess a store's shopping cart.
City Care CEO Rachel Freeman says giving a person a fine which they cannot pay or giving them a jail record is not the solution to stolen carts or to homelessness.
“Criminalizing poverty has never worked. There are evidence-based interventions that are well documented and do work,' said Freeman.
Instead of bills like this Freeman would rather see the legislature support programs to get people out of poverty and homelessness.
This story was produced by Sam Moore with News Gurus.
Oklahoma Congressional Delegation Members Take on Key Leadership Roles in New Congress
Members of the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation have new leadership appointments for the latest Congress.
Rep. Frank Lucas is returning to leadership in the House Committee on Agriculture.
He’s now chairing the Conservation, Research and Biotechnology Subcommittee.
He’s also leading the House Financial Services Committee’s new economic task force, a role he says he is honored to have in hopes of finding opportunities for meaningful reform.
Rep. Stephanie Bice has been tapped to chair the Modernization & Innovation Subcommittee within the larger House Administration Committee. She will also serve in the House Appropriations Committee as the vice chair of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Rep. Tom Cole is continuing his role as the House Appropriations Committee’s chair.
Sen. James Lankford is again chairing the Senate Select Ethics Committee after serving as its vice chair.
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