OKLAHOMA CITY —
Legislation seeking to enact provisions of State Question 755 has died in a Senate committee, a lawmaker said Monday.
Last fall, 695,650 voters, 70 percent of the total, cast votes for SQ 755, which amends the state Constitution to forbid judges from considering Islamic principles or international law when deciding a case.
In November, an Oklahoma federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking certification of SQ 755 by the State Election Board. The lawsuit is being appealed in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
State Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, is the author of House Bill 1552, which would ban the use of foreign law in Oklahoma courts.
The bill stated that any court action will be “void and unenforceable” if the decision is based “on any law, rule, legal code or system that would not grant the parties affected by the ruling or decision the same fundamental liberties, rights, and privileges granted under the United States and Oklahoma Constitutions.”
On Feb. 28, HB 1552 was passed 10-3 by the House Judiciary Committee. Last month, the bill passed 76-3 in the House.
State Sen. Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City, said last Wednesday was the deadline for bills decided by the Senate Rules Committee, and he commended committee chairman Rob Johnson, R-Kingfisher, for not bringing the bill up in committee due to concerns about its constitutionality.
Moderate committee members are attempting to keep the state from the frivolous lawsuits that would be filed if the bill became law, Rice said.
Kern and others on the far right disregard the affects certain pieces of legislation like this would have on Oklahoma’s various religious groups and on the state’s business community, Rice said.
“As someone here in the city in a very diverse district I’m concerned about the message it keeps sending outside the borders,” Rice said, citing groups opposed to the bill. “It’s a non-issue. It’s not happening. It’s meant just to sort of gin up anxiety and fear, and it’s too bad it’s going on at the Capitol.”
Efforts to reach Kern for comment were not successful Monday.
In a previous report, Kern said the bill is similar to SQ 755 and it was needed to address some of the legal issues used to challenge the measure.
Based on knowledge that HB 1552 would be up for a vote in the Senate Rules Committee this week, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights organization, called Monday’s press conference to express opposition.
Muneer Awad, executive director of CAIR-OK, said Kern’s bill violates the Bill of Rights and would threaten all international business contracts and companies in Oklahoma.
Rice said the bill could still be brought up as an amendment to a bill on the Senate floor, which would cause more constitutional issues because of the single subject rule.
“I imagine that there will be some antics in the House to try and revive it,” he said. “Hopefully there will be enough of a coalition of legislators here to resist them.”
Supporters of SQ 755 have said the change was needed to stem a trend of activist judges turning to international law to make decisions. Ex-state Sen. Rex Duncan, author of the proposition, cited the affects of Sharia law on places like Great Britain. Duncan called it a “cancer upon Great Britain’s survivability.”
Awad said Sharia is like a map for how to be a Muslim. American Muslims are abiding by U.S. laws and by Sharia, he said. Oklahoma Muslims have experienced some angst due to SQ 755, but mostly feel comfortable and welcome, he said.
Awad said CAIR-OK will continue to monitor the legislative process and be on the watch for attempts to revive the bill.
marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108
Local News
Related Photos
-
MARK SCHLACHTENHAUFEN | THE EDMOND SUN Nathaniel Batchelder, director of the Central Oklahoma Human Rights Association, picks up a visual aid after making a statement during Monday's press conference at the state Capitol.
-
MARK SCHLACHTENHAUFEN | THE EDMOND SUN Muneer Awad, executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, speaks with reporters following Monday's press conference at the state Capitol.
Discussion
SQ 755 follow-up bill dies in committee
Muslim leaders decry legislative attempt
- Local News
-
-
The Big One
It’s a bleak scenario. A massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault kills or injures 60,000 people in Tennessee. A quarter of a million people are homeless.
-
City plans to hire downtown consultant
Conceptual ideas about how the City of Edmond may plan for downtown development were shared this week by David Forrest with members of the business community.
The Central Edmond Urban Development Board has revisited plans made in a 1998 Downtown Master Plan through public meetings and presentations to protect the future development of Broadway. Recommendations by the group will be taken into account by future city councils. -
Feds recommend changing legal alcohol content levels
During the past 15 years alcohol contributed to a third of highway deaths prompting the government this week to recommend reducing state Blood Alcohol Content limits from .08 to .05 or lower.
-
St. Mary’s Episcopal School names new Head of School
Pamela Dockter will become the new Head of School at St. Mary’s Episcopal School effective July 1.
-
Local girl receives crown
Audrianna Page Fredericks recently was crowned Miss Junior Teen Oklahoma United States 2013.
-
‘Locker Hooking’ workshop offers instruction in durable, useful crafting technique
Residents who would like to learn how to use the “locker hooking” technique to make one-of-a-kind items for use in the home or for decoration are invited to attend the “Locker Hooking” Workshop Tuesday from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Oklahoma County OSU Cooperative Extension Service.
-
‘Healthy Cooking With Spices and Herbs’ focus of OSU Extension workshop
As Americans try harder to improve their diets by decreasing fat and sugar, the challenge to make dishes tasty as well as healthy becomes that much more important.
-
5-18 Calendar
The Edmond Senior Center, 2733 Marilyn Williams Drive, is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. F or information about Edmond senior programs, stop by and pick up a monthly calendar, check out the Web site at edmondseniorcenter.com or call 216-7600.
Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. and reservations are needed a day in advance by 11 a.m. For lunch reservations, call at 330-6293 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. -
Don’t miss out on Williams, Ariz.
You know how some days you’re really at your best and then you hit one where your efforts just don’t measure up. I had one of those. Jack and I were on a nine-day driving tour of Arizona, getting close to the end of the trip.
-
3 miles of Broadway restoration nears completion
Work to restore 3 miles of Broadway from Waterloo to Simpson was near completion Friday, said Mark Sharpton, District 1 county commissioner. Atlas Paving Company began the process of resurfacing the road this week.
“Another improvement on the roadway will be the application of new safety striping,” Sharpton said.
A recent bid letting by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation resulted in Action Supply being the lowest bidder at $27,752.30. The bid will be awarded June 3, Sharpton said. - More Local News Headlines
-
Twiggy, the Water Skiing Squirrel
Sailor Surprises His Mom At Her CU Denver Graduation Ceremony
Official: ‘Amazing’ No One Was Killed In CT Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Coffee Stop Leads To Arrest Of YouTube Sensation Wanted For Murder
Bearded Dragon Reunited With Owner
Marine Reunited with Warzone Companion
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Beyonce Is Pregnant!
SF baseball player overpaid $500,000 RETURNS money -- and team says KEEP IT
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
Dad returns from Afghanistan, surprises family during Rays' first pitch
See Jennifer Lopez's New $10m Hamptons Mansion
Woman tricked into taking abortion pill
Emma Watson Goes Pantless
IRS scandal: Republicans seek to tie Obama to agency's woes
Play of the Day: Flipping to Safety
Pregnant Kim Kardashian Squeezes Her Swollen Feet Into Stilettos
Top Videos of the Week: Angry Taco Bell Guy, Glacier Moves on House, Dog Hates Baths
Cindy Crawford Stuns At Cannes
