Claremore Daily Progress

Top Stories

February 3, 2010

Anti-abortion advocates rally at Okla. Capitol

SEAN MURPHY Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010 — OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Social issues stole center stage from a budget shortfall at the state Capitol on Wednesday as anti-abortion activists rallied and a Senate panel said high schools should offer courses that use the Bible as a textbook.



While the governor and legislative leaders are still trying to work out a budget agreement for the upcoming fiscal year, lawmakers began moving a mountain of more than 2,500 bills through various House and Senate committees.



In the Senate, a budget subcommittee approved a bill that allows public high schools across the state to offer an elective course in the study of the Bible.



Schools in Oklahoma already offer similar courses, but Sen. Tom Ivester, D-Elk City, said his measure would provide guidelines to ensure the classes were focusing on the historical context of Christian scripture.



"I think a lot of the school districts out there don't want to touch this with a 10-foot pole because there's nothing out there to give them cover," Ivester said. "This bill provides a framework of rules and statutory authority for the school districts to say, 'OK, this is how we do it.'"



Mike Fuller, chairman of the Oklahoma chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, said he sees some merit to the idea, but only if teachers were properly trained to teach the course objectively. Fuller said his main concern is that teachers don't preach.



"The objective study of religion and the Bible could possibly have a positive place in our public school system if it's implemented properly," Fuller said. "We want to be sure teachers don't inject their bias into the classroom."



Elk City Public Schools superintendent Galeard Roper said district board members implemented a course on biblical studies for seventh graders four years ago.



"It's totally legal, and we've not had one issue with it," said Roper, who said about 14 or 15 of the 150 eligible students enroll in the elective course each semester. "It's a very strict curriculum that the teacher follows."



Lawmakers also are expected to consider a handful of previously passed abortion-related measures that were later invalidated by two Oklahoma County judges in separate court challenges.



The bills would, among other things, regulate the use of the abortion pill RU-486 and require that women seeking an abortion receive an ultrasound, listen to a doctor's description of the fetus and fill out a lengthy questionnaire.



The judges said the laws violated a state constitutional requirement that bills deal only with one subject.



Hundreds of anti-abortion advocates gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday for the annual Rose Day rally, during which they visit lawmakers' offices and distribute roses while asking them to support anti-abortion measures.



Abortion rights advocates say Oklahoma has some of the strictest abortion laws in the nation. The Department of Health says there are about 6,300-6,600 abortions in Oklahoma each year.

Text Only
Top Stories