Glenn Beck, David Barton to Devote TV Time to America's Founders

Broadcaster Glenn Beck is introducing a new series on his Fox News Channel TV program beginning tomorrow: Founding Father's Friday. David Barton, president of Wallbuilders in Aledo, Texas, will be Glenn's guest each Friday. This Friday (April 30) learn more about the amazing Samuel Adams, who once said: "Nothing is more essential to the establishment of manners in a State than that all persons employed in places of power and trust be men of unexceptionable characters. The public cannot be too curious concerning the character of public men."

Don't miss it every Friday at 4 p.m. only on the Fox News Channel!

Also, a previous blog entry (click here) described the upcoming excellent series of lectures on The Founders' Legacy of Freedom by OCPA Senior Fellow Dr. J. Rufus Fears. These lectures will be presented each Monday in May beginning at 6 p.m., in the Hardemann Auditorium, inside the Garvey Center, on the Oklahoma Christian University campus in Edmond/north OKC. The first lecture starts this next Monday, May 3rd.

You'll want to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities to learn more about America's Founding Fathers!

Oklahoma House Votes to Override Gov. Henry's Vetoes

A bipartisan group of Oklahoma House members voted overwhelmingly today to override two gubernatorial vetoes of pro-life bills.


Gov. Brad Henry vetoed two pro-life bills Friday, and the House voted to override at the first opportunity Monday.

“I am proud that the House moved quickly in support of the sanctity of life by overriding the veto of these important pieces of pro-life legislation. This is clearly not a partisan issue,” said House Speaker Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. “We must move to stop the degradation of human life seen in recent years and stand up for those who cannot defend themselves.”

House Bill 2780, by state Rep. Lisa Billy, requires that doctors provide women information obtained from an ultrasound prior to performing an abortion.

Although ultrasounds are already routinely conducted immediately prior to an abortion, those pictures and the information obtained from the ultrasound are not provided to women.

“This legislation does nothing more than give women as much information as possible before they make the life-altering decision to have an abortion,” said Billy, R-Purcell. “I don’t want a single woman to go through the life-long torture of having an abortion without having all the relevant information.”

Research has shown that many women, after seeing an ultrasound, will opt to have a child. The House voted 81-14 to override the governor’s veto, which was above the three-fourths vote required.

The House also voted to override the veto of House Bill 2656, by state Rep. Dan Sullivan, which makes it illegal to sue a doctor claiming “wrongful birth” because the doctor failed to convince the mother to abort a child.

“This bill simply states that a doctor cannot be sued based on the opinion after birth that a child would have been better off if he or she had been aborted,” said Sullivan, R-Tulsa. “A bipartisan coalition of members supported this bill the first time, and I am pleased they did again today.”

The House voted to override the veto 84-12, again well above the three-fourths of the body required to override.

Both bills will return to the Senate for override consideration.

(Source: Oklahoma House Media Division)

Gov. Brad Henry Considers Pro-Life Bills

Gov. Brad Henry is now considering whether to support or veto several pro-life bills, which recently were passed in the state Senate. The governor's phone number is (405) 521-2342.

Although he recently supported three other pro-life bills in early April, it is unclear what he will do this time. Of course, pro-life Oklahomans hope he will support these bills, too. But, if he chooses to veto the latest round of bills, an attempt to override his veto will be attempted.

The following Senate Democrats voted for the bills, and their support to override any veto may be needed:

Sen. Randy Bass - District 32 - Lawton

Sen. Sean Burrage - District 2 - Claremore
Sen. Kenneth Corn - District 4 - Poteau
Sen. Mary Easley - District 18 - Tulsa
Sen. Jerry Ellis - District 5 - Valliant
Sen. Earl Garrison - District 9 - Muskogee
Sen. Jay Paul Gumm - District 6 - Durant
Sen. Tom Ivester - District 26 - Elk City
Sen. Charlie Laster - District 17 - Shawnee
Sen. Susan Paddack - District 13 - Ada

Oklahomans for Life is encouraging Oklahomans to contact the above legislators to thank them for their past support and to encourage them to support any veto override attempt, should it become necessary.

Wisconsin Judge Declares National Day of Prayer Unconstitutional

The annual National Day of Prayer is May 6. Declared by President Harry S Truman in 1952 and set by Congress and President Ronald Reagan in 1988 as the first Thursday of each May, the National Day of Prayer is a uniquely American day.

Five days ago, a federal district judge in Wisconsin declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional because it allegedly violates the supposed separation of church and state.

In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb (W.D.-Wis.) wrote, "the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual’s decision whether and when to pray.”

The judge's reasoning would surprise this nation's Founders, who, you will remember, at the urging of patriot and Massachusetts delegate Samuel Adams, then known as "the famous Adams," held an official two-hour prayer meeting during the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. It would surprise the entire House of Burgesses in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, which officially set a Day of Prayer, Fasting, and Humiliation for its Virginia citizens, to stand alongside their Boston countrymen, when the British forces were first closing Boston harbor to enforce a blockade by King George, III.

It would also surprise the supposed Deist Dr. Benjamin Franklin, who offered an official resolution, which called for regular morning prayers to Almighty God as the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia worked to draft our Constitution in 1787.

It would especially surprise Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and a host of other U.S. Presidents who have called for official National days of prayer and fasting throughout our 400-year history. It would also be a surprise to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who called for National prayer during the June 6th, 1944, D-Day invasion of Europe. Our entire history and nation is both an example and an answer to prayer.

Despite the judge's uncalled-for concerns about official acts by government, the National Day of Prayer is an entirely voluntary event. You are invited to pray -- not mandated to join your fellow citizens in prayer.

The Rev. Franklin Graham, honorary chairman of the National Day of Prayer, said, "No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in praying for our President, all of our elected leaders, and even for this unjust judge and all those who rule from the bench—that God would guide them and give them wisdom.”

You can attend the National Day of Prayer observance at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Thursday, May 6, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Upcoming May Lectures on The Founders' Legacy of Freedom

Our good friends at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs have just announced their Spring Lecture Series. The Series will be an outstanding five-part series of lectures by popular University of Oklahoma Professor and OCPA David and Ann Brown Senior Fellow Dr. J. Rufus Fears.

Dr. Fears' overall topic, which is so timely, will be The Founders' Legacy of Freedom. The first lecture will deal with the Declaration of Independence; the second week, the U.S. Constitution will be the focus of Dr. Fears' remarks. The Spring Lecture Series is appropriate for nearly everyone who loves American Liberty: parents, citizens, high school students, teachers, college students, patriots, Tea Party members, grandparents, reformed Progressives, etc. Best of all, the lectures will be free to the general public. Wow!

Dr. Fears has been named the most popular professor at O.U. by appreciative students three times. So, his treatment of this uniquely American topic will be a real treat for all who attend! Don't miss out.

One of Dr. Fears' lectures will be delivered on each of the five consecutive Monday evenings in May, 2010, and all will begin at 6 p.m., in the Garvey Center, Hardeman Auditorium, on the Oklahoma Christian University campus in north Oklahoma City, just off Memorial Road.

For more information, click here

Double Your Pleasure . . . at 2 State Capitol Tea Parties

Tonight, and again tomorrow, Oklahoma citizens will have the opportunity to participate in Tea Party rallies at the Oklahoma State Capitol, and across the state. According to Lincoln (and our founding documents), ours is a government "of the people, by the people, for the people." If your schedule permits, please take advantage of these two opportunities to express your voice!

Wednesday Night Tea Party
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 (tonight!)
6:00 p.m. -- North side of the Oklahoma State Capitol


State Wide Tax Day Tea Party

Thursday April 15th, 2010 (tomorrow!)
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. -- South side of the Oklahoma State Capitol

Annual ‘Purity Day’ for Youth Event is Next Thursday, April 15

Paying your income taxes isn't the only exciting thing in store for you next week!

On Thursday, April 15, Oklahoma Family Policy Council and the Kids Eagerly Endorsing Purity (KEEP) Program will host some 300 teenagers inside the state Capitol (4th Floor Rotunda) for the annual Purity Day event.

Public, private, and homeschooled students from across Oklahoma will hear from several motivating abstinence speakers, including University of Oklahoma football and basketball players, and be encouraged in their personal commitments to purity and sexual abstinence-until-marriage.

It's not too late to get your class, youth group, or students involved. If you wish to participate, just call OFPC at (405) 787-7744 or email gpoteat@okfamilypc.org and tell us you wish to participate in Purity Day at the State Capitol.

Kem Family Named 2010 Oklahoma Family of the Year

On Family Day, now a little over a week ago, Oklahoma Family Policy Council and the Character Council of Central Oklahoma announced that (drum roll, please!) the David and Janet Kem Family, of Edmond, is the 2010 Oklahoma Family of the Year. And what a fine selection their family is!

Dr. and Mrs. Kem, who have been married nearly 51 years, have five children and 21 grandchildren. Professionally, Dr. David C. Kem is the George Lynn Cross Research Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. He is also a guiding force behind the annual A. Kurt Weiss Lectureship on Biomedical Ethics, which for 23 years has challenged O.U. medical students statewide to practice medicine with the highest moral and ethical values. Janet is a faithful wife, mother, mentor, and citizen-activist.

On Family Day, April 1, the Kems were recognized publicly by the state House of Representatives. As a surprise, their five children and many of their 21 grandchildren traveled to Oklahoma City for the recognition. The Kems will again be recognized publicly at the upcoming National Day of Prayer observance at the state Capitol on May 6. You're welcome to attend that annual event, as well.

Congratulations, Dr. and Mrs. Kem! We at OFPC also wish to publicly thank the 25 pro-family organizations that participated in this year's successful Family Day at the State Capitol event.

P.S.  Perhaps you know an Oklahoma family deserving of this honor? We invite you to help nominate the Oklahoma Family of the Year for next year.  You can learn more about the nomination process and criteria by clicking here.

‘One Oklahoma Coalition’ Announces Opposition to SQ 744

Yesterday, numerous business, city, state, and political leaders participated in a joint news conference to announce their united opposition to SQ 744, the proposed public education funding mandate state question, which the Oklahoma Education Association and its allies successfully placed on Oklahoma's upcoming November general election ballot via the initiative petition process. The leaders described themselves as the One Oklahoma Coalition.

If SQ 744 is approved by voters, state legislators will be required perpetually by a state Constitutional Amendment to fund public education in Oklahoma at a level equal to the regional average of other states. The current projected cost to taxpayers to do so would be an additional estimated $850 million to $930 million annually, said One Oklahoma Coalition spokesperson Jeff Wilson. Those opposed to SQ 744 say such a legal requirement would be devastating to Oklahoma's state budget, especially in the current depressed economy.

Currently, Oklahoma taxpayers spend 41% of all annual legislative appropriations on common K-12 education. The state lottery provides additional funding for common and higher education, but SQ 744 proponents say the lottery is not a dependable source of new revenue for schools -- something the Oklahoma Family Policy Council warned about in 2004, prior to voters' approval of the state lottery and the tribal gaming compact.

You can read CapitolBeatOK editor Patrick B. McGuigan's account of yesterday's news conference by clicking here.

To read the views of the OEA and other proponents of SQ 744, click here.

Note: Proponents say Oklahoma spends $8,006 per pupil on public education. However, a January, 2010, report by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, click here, placed the state's estimated per pupil expenditure at $10,257.

Thank You, Gov. Brad Henry!

Yesterday, Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry signed three pro-life bills into law.

The new laws will take effect July 1, 2010, unless they are legally challenged by abortion proponents in Tulsa and New York City. They replace previous bills passed in 2009, which were later deemed unconstitutional for violating the state constitution's single-subject rule. The new laws will:

• prevent sex-selection abortions in Oklahoma (and will mandate revoking the license to practice of any abortionist who violates the law)
• require that only licensed physicians administer the RU-486 abortion pill to women (via medical prescription), and
• protect the freedom of conscience and religious beliefs of Oklahomans to not participate in abortion or other bioethical concerns related to human embryos, fetal transplants, and euthanasia.

Other measures now in the Senate, which, if passed, will also be sent to the Governor include:

HB 2780, which would require all women contemplating abortion be given an ultrasound exam of her fetus in-utero. The woman would not be required to view the baby's image, but the ultrasound image would be described to her.

HB 3284, would require that non-identifying statistical information about women who have abortions be reported to the state Health Department. Abortionists would also have to report all complications that occur during abortion procedures.

These last two bills are the most troubling ones to the abortion industry. Whether Gov. Henry will sign or veto them, if passed by the state Senate, remains to be seen.

If you wish to contact Gov. Henry, to thank him for signing the three bills noted above, his office phone is (405) 521-2342.

Do You Have Questions About the 2010 Census?

Have you filled out and returned your Census form yet?

By April, according to news reports, about half of Americans nationwide who received the form in early March have filled it in and sent it back to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Next month, Census workers will start visiting people in their homes to collect the information (April showers bring May Census workers!).

Perhaps you have questions about answering or neglecting the Census. Do you really have to answer all the questions? What could happen if you refuse?

To learn more, click on this link, which provides you with good answers from The Heritage Foundation.