Meanwhile… In Oklahoma
Friday, Jan 19, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Rolling Stone…
If one Oklahoma representative gets his way, children who act like dogs and cats during school hours could be punished by — animal control. Yes, parents might soon have to collect their erstwhile kids from the pound — if Rep. Justin Humphrey’s bill makes it to the finish line as it stands today. That is, of course, if kids acting like animals at school is really that widespread a problem, which is up for debate.
Humphrey’s bill, which was filed Wednesday, seeks to put in place a law whereby “students who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species, or who engage in anthropomorphic behavior commonly known as furries at school shall not be allowed to participate in school. … The parent or guardian of a student in violation of this section shall pick up the student from school, or animal control services shall be contacted to remove the student.”
Humphrey tells Rolling Stone he was inspired to write the bill after hearing several reports of students disrupting school while engaging in animal-like behavior. He cites two such alleged incidents in which a grandchild of a friend took to crawling down the hallway while wearing a leash, and another where a student distracted classmates by meowing like a cat. He seemed most concerned, however, with the idea of students requesting litter boxes in the classroom, a favored talking point among right-wing politicians that has been debunked. Similar bills have been introduced in the past as well, but none have included the “animal control” language.
Humphrey says he’s heard “reports” of such instances but did not cite a specific incident. “Why are we going to bring in a litter box and put it in a room? Are they allowing those kids to actually use litter boxes?” he asks, incredulous. “If you think that you’re an animal, that’s a mental health issue, and we need to get you mental health assistance. Some people are going to say, ‘Well, they’re being artistic.’ There’s nothing artistic about mental illness.”
* NBC…
An Oklahoma bill has stirred controversy in the state Legislature for seeking to label Hispanic people who are gang members as terrorists. No other racial or ethnic group is singled out in the legislation.
The bill, written by Republican state Rep. Justin Humphrey, proposes that any person who “is of Hispanic descent living within the state of Oklahoma,” is a member of a gang and has been convicted of “gang-related offenses” would be deemed a terrorist. Humphrey has since apologized for zeroing in on Hispanic people and plans to change the language in the bill to “undocumented.”
Humphrey told NBC News that the bill was meant to focus on “those people who are here illegally and who are coming across the border and trying to do harm to America and to Oklahoma.” […]
“I don’t believe that the Mexican cartel, the Hispanic gangs, are the only bad actors … I don’t really say, ‘I made a mistake’ or that it was racial, because it wasn’t, but it was an oversight and it could be made much, much better by expanding that to say, ‘any undocumented person,’” Humphrey said, adding that he spoke with Hispanic friends who told him they were somewhat offended by the bill.
Humphrey has also said that “Chinese nationals” are contributing to the fentanyl crisis, but did not explicitly mention that group in the bill. There were 3,547 unintentional drug overdose deaths in the state between 2017 to 2021, according to data from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Fentanyl was involved in 579 of those deaths.
* Hmm…
* KOCO…
An Oklahoma lawmaker proposed a bill that would require students to take a gun course at school.
State Sen. Nathan Dahm filed Senate Bill 1699, which would require courses focusing on gun safety, the history of gun confiscation and the dangers of gun confiscation throughout history.
According to Senate Bill 1699, the Oklahoma State Department of Education would develop resources related to implementing gun courses with grade-appropriate instruction and high-quality professional learning opportunities for gun course teachers.
* KOKH…
Transgender children who need an adoptive or foster parent could be placed in homes that don’t support their gender identity if a new bill gets signed into law.
Senate Bill 1677, authored by Sen. Julie Daniels, would prohibit the Oklahoma Department of Human Services from requiring a condition for potential foster and adoptive parents that they support a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity if it conflicts with the prospective parents “sincerely held religious or moral beliefs”.
The bill would also prohibit DHS from denying a prospective parent adoption or fostering a child based in part on their religious beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity.
If a parent is denied adoption or fostering a child based on their religious belief, they would be able to seek injunctive relief and damages.
- Kelly Cassidy - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:32 pm:
Rep. Humphrey seems like a fun guy.
- Rabid - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:37 pm:
You going to have to put them down if they don’t get picked up
- Demoralized - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:38 pm:
==Oklahoma introduces a FELONY BAN on VIEWING pornography.==
Republicans sure want to be all up in people’s personal business.
- Demoralized - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:39 pm:
==the history of gun confiscation and the dangers of gun confiscation throughout history.==
I guess indoctrination is ok so long as you are the one doing the indoctrination.
- Sayitaintso - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:40 pm:
Koo-coooo. Koo-coooo. Koo-coooo
- Give Us Barabbas - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:43 pm:
These are all stunt bills, designed only for feeding red meat to his base. I’d be shocked if any of these ever got to their governor for signature. They do have a governor, right? Or is it more like the tribal hierarchy from “Lord of the Flies”? It’s Oklahoma, so I have to ask….
We have hard right wing nut pandering and stunt bills in Illinois as well. They never go anywhere past the initial press conference announcement. But then, that was always the plan: to generate something that can then be quoted in campaign literature and commercials playing to a shrinking base of outraged edge cases.
- Rodgers and Hammerstein - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:44 pm:
This isn’t the Oklahoma I remember…
- Montrose - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:45 pm:
=Republicans sure want to be all up in people’s personal business.=
They do, but I also think there are a number of republicans thinking “Hey wait. Ummm. Can we talk about this?”
- Grandson of Man - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:48 pm:
Medieval barbarians would be ashamed of red states’ backwardness. /s
They really must want to drive out modern people and revert back to an old South environment.
May this be another moment of gratitude, to live in Illinois.
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:52 pm:
At the end of last year, an Oklahoma representative introduced a bill requiring classrooms display the 10 Commandments. The bill was silent on =which= version of the 10 Commandments (Charlton Heston in the 10 Commandments, the Catholic version, Exdous, Deuteronomy, … ).
- Norseman - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:55 pm:
Laundry list of the hate inspired fantasy and insanity pushed by the MAGA maniacs.
- Jerry - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 12:56 pm:
Big government, nanny-state, “conservatives” in Oklahoma. I thought they wanted the guv-mint out of their lives.
- The Truth - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:01 pm:
Humphrey says he’s heard “reports” of such instances but did not cite a specific incident.
This is an unserious person.
- Ted - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:03 pm:
Everyone claims to have “heard” about liter boxes in school, but when pressed they can never show it actually happened. Oh, and Humphrey has porn on his phone or laptop, guaranteed.
- Paddyrollingstone - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:05 pm:
Wow, does that place suck.
- H-W - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:13 pm:
Humphreys: “There’s nothing artistic about mental illness.”
Any yet, Humphreys using fiction to prevent children from possibly using litter boxes is itself an manifestation of mental illness (e.g., delusional thoughts guiding human behavior).
- Norseman - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:19 pm:
Ted, I really became depressed and concerned about the fate of our society when my attorney neighbor said she believed the furries story after being told by a friend. She couldn’t provide me with any documented evidence other than the friend. Given the ubiquitous presence of camera enabled cell phones, you’d think a litter box in a school would have been documented somewhere.
- Just a Guy - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:27 pm:
Slow news day? I couldn’t care less about Oklahoma or their bills that haven’t even passed yet. Just saying.
=Humphrey has porn on his phone or laptop, guaranteed.=
“rumors… will not be tolerated and will likely result in banishment”
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:28 pm:
We’re only sayin’,
You’re doin’ fine, Oklahoma.
Oklahoma, O.K..
Rodgers and Hammerstein are rolling in their graves.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:28 pm:
=== I couldn’t care less about Oklahoma===
And yet you commented. lol
- Honeybear - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:29 pm:
This is exactly why my elderly mother is moving from Oklahoma to Illinois. She no longer feels safe in a state that has become so right wing. Well that and her only child will be 7minutes away.
But honestly it’s become so bad that she, being socially liberal/moderate can only talk about the weather, food, and family. The social isolation of avoiding topics has been debilitating.
- Anyone Remember - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:33 pm:
Forgot to add that Oklahoma’s former US Senator, the late Tom Coburn, without using the word, called Schindlers List “pornography” and said it should never be on over-the-air television. He got a wee bit of blowback for that.
- Almost Retired - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:37 pm:
I find it unfortunate that some individuals do not even see how ignorant they are about sexual development, sexual behavior, gender development and gender identity. Plus their level of hysteria only means that they are insecure in their own sexual identity and gender idenity and they are not recognizing their own issues that lead them to this level of ignorance and insecurity. Makes one wonder what is in their closets.
- IllinoisCitizen - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:39 pm:
I imagine that some high school’s production of “Cats” has just lost one of its nine lives.
- Near Westside - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:44 pm:
So tired of these silly, right-wing stunt bills. I wonder if Rep. Humphreys files any legislation that would actually help his constituents or is just wanting click bait. My guess is that his constituents services are lacking.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:48 pm:
More from Oklahoma, this time from a state senator who is also the state GOP chair.
http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb1837&Session=2400
The bill would require news media to be licensed by the state and comply with training standards, a criminal background check and quarterly drug testing.
- West Side the Best Side - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:52 pm:
When I was in grade school I would do a Donald Duck voice to entertain other kids. Don’t know if the Okie would have sent me to the pound or the butcher shop for that.
- Dupage Dem - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:53 pm:
On the gun safety bill, requires to teach about dangers of gun confiscation but what about teaching about the number of mass shootings and especially those in school. What about looking for warning signs or using red flag laws to stop these shootings?
- H-W - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:56 pm:
@ 47th Ward
Egads. Yeah, that will certainly pass the First Amendment muster. Go for it GOP. Regulate the press.
- H-W - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 1:57 pm:
@ West Side
Who let the dogs out, and what did the fox say, anyway?
- New Day - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 2:05 pm:
Someone should propose an amendment requiring the browser histories of everyone who sponsors the anti-porn bill.
- Huh? - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 2:29 pm:
“In Oklahoma, production of “Cats” has just lost its nine lives”
Fixed it for ya.
- Former ILSIP - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 2:43 pm:
I’m just surprised that you didn’t mention the proposed legislation in Oklahoma to ban no-fault divorce too.
- don the legend - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 2:59 pm:
I wonder if Representative Humphrey is friends with Jeannie Ives?
- Bond Guy - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 3:39 pm:
A class about the dangers of gun confiscation throughout history is going to be very, very short.
- ArchPundit - Friday, Jan 19, 24 @ 4:13 pm:
Charlie Pierce usually does a weekly states round-up always finishing with Oklahoma. Usually like this.
== They do have a governor, right?
Yeah, he’s the guy who laughed at his opponent last cycle because she pointed out crime was worse in Oklahoma than in the big bad blue cities. She was correct, of course. Denial seems to work for them.