Oklahoma Democrats File Joint Resolutions To Reject Social Studies Standards
Oklahoma Democrats are pushing back against controversial proposed social studies standards.
The caucus announced Monday it has filed House and Senate Joint Resolutions to reject the standards.
From an injection of Biblical teachings to the quiet inclusion of 2020 election denialism rhetoric, the proposed social studies standards have been the subject of controversy for months.
That, combined with an approval process some State Board of Education members say was rushed and misleading.
Oklahoma City Senator and former teacher Carri Hicks spoke about the modified standards at a Monday news conference announcing the joint resolutions.
“This move is not about improving education, it’s about advancing a political agenda at the expense of our students. The stakes are too high to allow for political interference to dictate what our children learn in the classroom,” Hicks said.
The legislature has until the end of the month to approve, disapprove or modify the standards.
Governor Stitt Issues Executive Order On Religious Freedom
Oral arguments over the constitutionality of Oklahoma’s - and the nation’s - first state-funded religious charter school are scheduled for later this month.
Gov. Kevin Stitt is trying to get ahead of the conversation with an executive order Monday, doubling down on his vision of religious freedom in the state.
Stitt uses three recent Supreme Court decisions as the basis for his position:
that states can’t exclude any person, nonprofit, church, school or business from public programs and benefits solely because they are religious.
The hope is to ‘ensure faith-based organizations can fully participate in public life without discrimination or penalty.’
Specifically, the newly created St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which Stitt wants Oklahoma to pay for.
So, Stitt has ordered every state agency to purge any policies that may limit the embedding of religion within government, and to file a report of the work to his office within 30 days of his order.
State Attorney General Gentner Drummond said beware of the slippery slope. Unless Stitt is prepared to discriminate against non-Christian faiths, Drummond said, the governor is setting Oklahoma up to fund schools teaching religions of all kinds like Islam, Scientology and even Satanism.
Oral arguments for the St. Isidore v. Gentner Drummond case are scheduled for April 30 in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Oklahoma House Passes Bill to Ease Court Fees for Former Inmates
A new bill to reform court fees has passed through the state House of Representatives.
The measure means to alleviate the financial burden on individuals involved in the criminal justice system.
House Bill 1460 by Oklahoma City Republican Tammy West aims to eliminate low-yield fees for those in the criminal justice system.
West developed the bill after an interim study found former inmates were overwhelmed by the fees.
In a release, West said the fees are affecting those with limited financial means causing the collection rate to be as low as 25%, meaning the fees cost more for the state to collect than they bring in.
HB 1460 would eliminate the electronic monitoring fee, indigent defense application fee, DPS Impaired Driver Database fee, Bureau of Narcotics Revolving Fund Fee, and OSBI drug cleaning fee.
West said she is working with agency heads to identify which fees make the most sense to eliminate.
The state House unanimously passed the bill last week and it is now headed to the state Senate.
TSET Awards $350K For Health-Focused School Projects
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust has awarded more than 40 Healthy Incentive Grants to schools and districts across Oklahoma.
The grants total nearly $350 thousand. The funds will support playgrounds, exercise equipment, walking trails, school gardens and other health-focused projects.
TSET officials say this is the largest round of grants since the program began in 2013.
The grants support initiatives that encourage students, staff and visitors to eat better, move more and live tobacco-free.
_________________
For additional news throughout the day visit our website, KGOU.org and follow us on social media.
We also invite you to subscribe to the KGOU AM NewsBrief.