The number of Republican state lawmakers opposed to capital punishment is growing, a conservative group claims, as anti-death penalty activists look forward to continued momentum from the right on this issue in 2020. “The nation is down to only 25 states that still have an active death penalty system, of those, over a third have…Read More
There is no international right to abortion, the U.S. health secretary told officials from more than 30 countries on Thursday in Washington, D.C. “I stated this fact at the United Nations this past September, and I’ll repeat it here: there is no international human right to abortion. On the other hand, there is an international…Read More
Planned Parenthood announced this week that it plans to spend $45 million to support pro-abortion candidates at the presidential, congressional, and state levels in the 2020 election. The campaign, entitled “We Decide 2020,” marks the largest election spending in Planned Parenthood’s history. Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes, told CBS News that “The…Read More
Since the beginning of my campaign I have taken a very straight-forward approach to abortion. I want to end abortion. The pathway to protect the unborn is often cluttered with strong opinions and misinformation. Couple that with a court system that is bent on stopping the protection of babies and on preventing women from protecting…Read More
The Pardon and Parole Board voted Wednesday to recommend commutation for another 149 nonviolent drug offenders who were eligible for a single-stage docket made possible by a recent law change, board Executive Director Steven Bickley said. The cases now go to Gov. Kevin Stitt for consideration. House Bill 1269, which took effect Nov. 1, directed…Read More
To address racial disparities in Oklahoma’s justice system, future criminal justice legislation may have to go through an additional step before being approved. State Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City, filed Senate Bill 1184, which requires a racial impact statement to accompany any bill that would lengthen sentences, create a new offense or change penalties for…Read More
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City has announced his support for state legislation that would remove the death penalty from consideration in capital cases. “We don’t end the cycle of violence by committing more violence,” Coakley said in a Jan. 14 press release from the office of State Representative Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City), who introduced…Read More
State Rep. Jason Dunnington (D-Oklahoma City) on Tuesday filed House Bill 2876 for consideration during the 2020 legislative session. If passed and signed into law, the measure will remove the death penalty from among the options in Oklahoma for sentencing in capital cases. “I’m proud to be a part of the important progress we’ve made…Read More
Two initiative petitions to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma have divided the state’s burgeoning medical marijuana community. Some of the state’s most vocal medical marijuana supporters see the petitions as a threat to their newly legal way of life. Some medical marijuana supporters oppose the specific petitions. Others shun the idea of legalizing recreational marijuana…Read More
This has been a year of change for the Oklahoma City school district, the result of an overhaul in which 15 schools were closed and 17 others were reconfigured or relocated. One thing that has not changed, unfortunately, is frustration among teachers. The Oklahoma City branch of the American Federation of Teachers, which bargains on…Read More