This week began with a crowd at the Capitol! Oklahomans for Health and Parental Rights assembled to rally and meet legislators. This organization is known for supporting LIBERTY bills and focuses on parental authority in the lives of children. Several folks from the Bartlesville, Collinsville, and Owasso areas stopped by my office to visit. OKHPR is supporting nearly 50 bill in both chambers this session and many are seeking to protect Oklahomans from vaccine tyranny.
The annual Rose Day at the Oklahoma State Capitol is an opportunity to visit with Senators and Representatives about the sanctity of life. On Wednesday, the House Chamber was filled with citizens and legislators who support protecting life. As we near 50 years since the Supreme Court decided that the murder of unborn babies was a fundamental right, pro-life Oklahomans are realizing that we must do more if we are to protect the innocent from legalized murder.
As a result of the Texas “Heartbeat bill”, fewer abortions are being sought in Texas. There are similar bills filed in both the Oklahoma House and Senate this session: HB3700 by Rep Todd Russ and SB1503 by Senator Julie Daniels. Like the Texas bill, these bills prohibit abortion once a heartbeat is detected and allow citizens to enforce the measure through private civil action. A private person will be entitled to file a lawsuit for enforcement of this measure.
Last session, Governor Stitt signed Oklahoma’s pro-life “Trigger Bill”. SB918 will become effective if the United States Supreme Court returns the authority to prohibit abortion to the states.
Senator Warren Hamilton has filed a bill this session which will make abortion illegal in Oklahoma. It has not yet been assigned to a Senate committee, but SB1372 is definitely worth reading. I am grateful to Senator Hamilton for his steadfast defense of the unborn.
I agree with Thomas Jefferson when he wrote, “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever.”
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The House Public Health committee of which I am a member held the first meeting of the 2022 session this week. All bills passed through the committee with little opposition from members. A bill requiring drivers license numbers be added to death certificates in an attempt to aid in the clean up voter registration lists was most beneficial to all citizens. A bill allowing a special certificate of need exemption for the University Hospital Trust was most harmful. Certificate of Need laws do not encourage private enterprise and offering carve-outs to an already powerful system will further inhibit private investment.
The chairman of Public Health has stated that only ONE bill addressing vaccines(vaccine tyranny) will be heard this session. Any bill prohibiting vaccine mandates will not be given a hearing in this committee. Thankfully, the Senate committee on Business, Commerce and Tourism heard two vaccine related bills this week. Senator Blake Stephens presented SB1128 in an attempt prohibit vaccination requirements by employers. Unfortunately, after multiple questions from Republican senators, Senator Stephens agreed to lay the bill over which means it will available to be heard at a later time but will not move any further for now. Senator Nathan Dahm was successful in passing SB1157 through this committee. If approved, this bill will allow people who have lost jobs due to noncompliance with vaccination requirements the opportunity to receive unemployment benefits.
Many Oklahomans continue to face threats to employment over vaccination status. It was disappointing as Senator Blake was defending his bill in committee, a fellow Republican stated that this bill must not pass because Oklahoma’s noncompliance with CMS rules would cause rural hospitals to lose billions in federal dollars. Apparently, Oklahomans must not be allowed medical freedom because of federal funding. A possible loss of federal funding is commonly used to threaten individual liberty. We must continue to push back against the federal government and to protect the individuals of Oklahoma.
In Liberty,
Wendi
from Wendi 