OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill requiring public high schools to incorporate an anti-abortion message into their curricula passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives 64-12 on Tuesday, with one-fourth of the members skipping the vote.
House Bill 2797, by Rep. Ann Coody, creates a special revolving fund that can be used only to promote the “humanity of the unborn” and oppose abortion. The bill specifically requires those messages become part of high school instruction, and allows for production of promotional materials for general distribution.
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The proposed law states as a matter of public policy that “abortion kills a living human being.”
Coody. R-Lawton, said the bill would have little immediate impact because no money would be allocated to the fund this year, or until the state digs out of its budget crisis.
However, Rep. Cannaday, D-Porum, said it is his understanding the curriculum part of the bill could be implemented at no cost.
This led to questions from Cannaday and Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman, about why the bill creates a revolving fund at all. Their questions were not directly answered.
Proponents of the bill predicted it would reduce not only abortion but child abuse, and linked the introduction of legal abortion to what they said has been an increase in the mistreatment of children.
Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, D-Tulsa, disputed that, saying child abuse is more thoroughly investigated and reported now than in the 1970s, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled abortion legal in most circumstances.
Virgin’s amendment to require sex education as part of the anti-abortion curriculum — something specifically excluded by the current language — was quickly tabled. The same happened with an amendment by Rep. Jason Dunnington, D-Oklahoma City, to include contraception in the bill.
“I hear you say this has nothing to do with sex education,” Dunnington said. “But children who are in the womb are there because people have sex. It doesn’t make sense not to include that.”
In an apparent dig at education savings accounts — a proposal working its way through the Legislature that would allow the use of state education funds for private schools — Dunnington suggested the creation of “contraception savings accounts” for teens whose parents hold them out of the anti-abortion instruction.
Rep. Kevin Calvey, R-Oklahoma City, said HB 2797 does not exclude sex education altogether, any more than teaching “agriculture or oil and gas.”
Also Tuesday, the House passed a measure targeting the Humane Society USA for what some say was deceptive fundraising following the Moore tornadoes of 2013.
HSUSA denies the allegations and has sued Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for harassment over the matter.
HB 2250, by Rep. Brian Renegar, D-McAlester, would ban any “animal rights charitable organization” from soliciting funds in the state for use outside the state, or for any “political purposes inside or outside the state.”
The bill is part of a larger dispute involving HSUSA, the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Pruitt and former Attorney General Drew Edmondson, who is representing HSUSA.
The Farm Bureau is advocating a “right to farm” constitutional amendment that is in response to HSUSA and other animal rights groups opposed to some intensive feeding operations and other common agriculture practices.
Randy Krehbiel 918-581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com
Rules of Conduct
Welcome to the discussion.
35 comments:
Jonathan Schwarz posted at 8:01 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Please tell me there's some Oklahoma C-Span that has video of Jason Dunnington suggesting the "contraception savings account." I picture it happening something like the scene from the movie Porky's, the one in the prinicpal's office after the "shower incident" with one of the coach's suggesting they put up flyers around school to identify the offending member and while he's getting the words out working really hard to keep a straight face, the other coaches are laughing hysterically. All while the principal and Ms. Ballbricker are totally stoic, until the principal can't hold it in any longer and storms out of the room.
Peggy Pianalto posted at 5:02 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
The TW FB page on this article is great fun. Two special idiots actually said that if women don't want to get pregnant they should keep their legs closed.
Peggy Pianalto posted at 5:01 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Mona, [beam]
grant holm posted at 4:16 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
I voted for Jeannie McDaniel [smile]
Lance Rider posted at 3:29 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Pointless. There is no way to enforce this if it passes. The schools already have too many stupid mandates from the small government crowd.
Joe Beson posted at 3:09 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Why would you need this taught in school when you all are planning to eliminate abortion in Oklahoma. Will it be part of the Oklahoma Christian History Books?
Jim Smith posted at 2:49 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Sarah Palin herself was pregnant when she got married.
So were Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
Moral values?
Jim Smith posted at 2:48 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
[beam][beam][thumbup][thumbup]
Jim Smith posted at 2:47 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
What business does the State have in teaching the religious doctrine that "life begins at conception"?
The GOP says they want smaller government - except when big government suits them.
Dana Asher posted at 2:43 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
better watch out Stacey, Craighead will have your flogged or fired!!!
Stacey Stapleton posted at 2:16 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Can't wait to see the law suits that will come out of this one. I am a high school science teacher and there's no way that will be part of my curriculum.
Cindy Keith posted at 1:34 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
LOL
Cindy Keith posted at 1:32 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
I can't wait to read that quote to my dad, Mona. He'll probably laugh even harder than I did.[thumbup]
Dean Jenkins posted at 1:28 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Too bad we can't teach in school that guns kill people. Oh no, let's just keep catering to the crazed who believe that babies are God's punishment to women for having sex.
Dana Asher posted at 1:18 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
The "war on women" is a soft target for republicans......they destroyed the economy of the Oklahoma government......time on their hands, leaves time for taliban social engineering!!
John Swofford posted at 12:09 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
If the Oklahoma Legislature was really interested in lowering the rate of abortions in this state, they’d require the state department of education to come up with a competent Sex Education curriculum to teach in all the eighth grade and ninth grade classes to both genders and be sure to include information about how to get easy access to contraception. Nothing has been proven to lower the abortion rate and this Lawton legislator’s law won’t prove the exception to what really works.
John Swofford posted at 12:04 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Like any of Professor Craighead's children would tell their father about getting or paying for an abortion? I don't think so.
Mona Lowe posted at 11:47 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Liberals like that crazy Palin woman from Alaska, Craighead? That whole "keep your legs crossed and pray" method didn't work out so well for Bristol Palin...either time.
Mona Lowe posted at 11:45 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
I'm not sure which is "stupider" this bill or the "right to farm" bill? It is like the Titanic is sinking and our leaders are trying to decide whether to paint the ballroom dusty rose or pale blue.
Lance Christiansen posted at 11:29 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
I guess the GOP is trying to create a "nanny" state in Oklahoma... Apparently, they do not think that people are smart enough on their own to make their own moral choices and do what is best...
For the record, I did not vote for any of them...
Richard Mishkin posted at 11:17 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Like Sarah Palin's daughter. Do as I say, not as I do! Do you have some kind words for the ex-Governors daughter? An innocent mistake? or an on purpose ? Keep the legs closed idea must have escaped that situation.
Zach Scott posted at 10:32 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Having a child out of wedlock is immoral? Really Charles? So I must be passing on my lack of moral to my daughter?
Do us all a favor, turn off your computer and hide inside for the rest of your days. This era is far too ahead of your time...
Charles Craighead posted at 10:07 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
none of my children had children out of wedlock. it's ashamed liberals don't raise they children with the same moral values.
Dianna Smith posted at 9:23 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
So its ONLY the fault of daughters, huh Craig?! You must really miss the 1950's huh?!
Dianna Smith posted at 9:22 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
You can NOT teach abortion is wrong, when abortion is the law of the land!! I would LOVE to teach shooting guns is immoral and wrong, but I cannot as it to is the Law of the Land. These old white people need to retire already and stop trying to "Christianize" our Laws!!!
Charles Craighead posted at 8:53 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
what is unconstitutional about protecting children from the ultimate child abuse?
Peggy Pianalto posted at 8:11 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
This is an ignorant bill based on religion, not science. These religionists wouldn't know science if it bit them in the backside.
It's amazing that the party of no government control constantly tries to control women and women's medical decisions. Hypocrites!
ml shilman posted at 7:54 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Why don't you teach you sons to keep the car in the garage[beam]
ml shilman posted at 7:53 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
Another useless foray into unconstitutional legislation. Scott Pruitt's office gets to waste more of our tax money
Randy Evans posted at 7:50 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
The party who rails against interfering with people who trespass on federal land ,
and opposes any kind of corporate regulations that keep make our air , water , or
food from being poisoned , thinks Big Gov't is a good idea SOMETIMES .
Of course , we can't have sex education because it wasn't one of the ten commandments . They topped that off by "kicking the dog" on the way out the door
(Also Tuesday, the House passed a measure targeting the Humane Society USA for what some say was deceptive fundraising )
Well shoe them and the horse they rode in on . Never mind - they've already sent that horse to the slaughterhouse . Hi-Yo Silver ! Away ! I mean really , run Silver , run like the wind ...
Charles Craighead posted at 7:01 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
teach your daughters how to keep their legs crossed works and doesn't cost taxpayers anything.
ML Wells posted at 6:50 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
We'll NOT educate our youth that an unplanned pregnancy can upend one's life, i.e., that a young mother is unlikely to finish high school and is more likely to live in poverty, but we'll spend precious taxpayer funds to indoctrinate our young women that abortion is morally wrong. Folks! Prevent unplanned pregnancies and you prevent abortions!
Charles Craighead posted at 6:36 am on Wed, Mar 2, 2016.
abortion=child abuse
you can't abuse a child any more than murdering it
alan hughes posted at 11:36 pm on Tue, Mar 1, 2016.
Gee, I thought the "Family Promotion Act" (?), which has absorbed hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars, would have made HB 2797 unnecessary...and I especially like the bill's mysterious "special revolving fund". Thank you, Rep. Dunnington, for inserting some serious levity into this insanity, when we need to get on to those critical groins and guns issues.... Kudos to lock-step cub Tulsa Whorl reporter Randy Krehbiel for tagging HSUSA's opposition to "some intensive feeding operations..[i.e. thousand-acre hog mills] and other COMMON farming practices"[stream-side poultry litter dumps]. Randy surely copied his "common farming practices" from sister, The Daily Jokelahoman. As for our grandstanding Attorney General...never mind. After adjourning, this year, let's discreetly discuss education, public safety, prisons, roads, the THIRD interim study in ten years of this state's illegal tax gifts to big business, not to mention, defeated politicians hiding in plain sight in good ol' boy departments, such as the State Insurance Commisson....
Jan Kowalski posted at 7:11 pm on Tue, Mar 1, 2016.
[thumbdown]