Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Religion And Law topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves 'Preserving Oklahoma Values Act' after heated debate
Summary
Senators debated a proposed law that would bar courts from enforcing foreign laws deemed contrary to ‘Judeo‑Christian Western values’ and asserted protections for U.S. and state constitutional rights; supporters said it protects due process while critics warned it risks religious and cultural exclusion. The committee voted to pass the measure.
Senator Hamilton presented Senate Bill 16,679, titled the "Preserving Oklahoma Values Act," saying it would clarify that Oklahoma courts will not enforce foreign laws or legal codes that conflict with the U.S. or Oklahoma constitutions and the state's declared values. The sponsor said the measure is intended to ensure basic protections—due process, equal protection and similar rights—are enforced and to prevent foreign law from superseding constitutional guarantees.
Senators asked detailed questions about definitions and scope. Senator Hicks asked how courts would distinguish "foreign law" from tribal law; the sponsor said tribal law is not being targeted and that tribal law is subordinate to the U.S. Constitution. Multiple senators pressed the author on how the bill defined "Judeo‑Christian Western values" and whether the language could marginalize Eastern Christian or other faith communities.
Opponents called the provisions unnecessary and potentially discriminatory. One senator said the proposal "puts Western civilization and Western Christianity together" in a way that could create friction with Eastern Orthodox Christians and other faith communities. Supporters said the bill enshrines existing constitutional protections and seeks to prevent religious legal codes that deny due process from being enforced in state courts.
After extended debate, the committee voted and passed the bill out of committee. The transcript records the committee roll call as 16 ayes and 2 nays when the chair declared the bill passed.
