Parents Know Best When It Comes To Their Kids’ Education

Religious Freedom,

The following is from our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom.

Oklahoma should be able to choose the best schools for its charter-school program, and the Constitution prevents the state from excluding schools from that program simply because they are religious.

Oklahoma law creates a charter-school program, and it invites private organizations to apply to operate charter schools in the state—except state law says religious groups cannot participate. But when St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School applied to operate a virtual charter school in Oklahoma, the Statewide Charter School Board faced a choice: deny the otherwise-qualified application as state law said or do what the First Amendment requires and approve the school. After then-Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor advised the board members that the ban on religious organizations participating in the charter-school program is likely unconstitutional, the Board approved the school in June 2023.

Current Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond disagreed with that decision, so he sued the Charter School Board. ADF represents the Board. After the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the Board and ordered it to exclude St. Isidore, the Board appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. On January 24, 2025, the high court agreed to hear the case. The case will be argued on April 30 and likely decided in June.

This case is about educational freedom, empowering parents, and equal treatment of religious people and groups. Parents deserve more choices for their children’s education. Different children flourish in different environments, and providing a wide variety of options allows parents to choose the best education for their children. People of faith deserve options that align with their faith. It is discriminatory to allow charter-school options for parents who believe in Montessori education, for example, while forbidding charter-school options for religious parents who want their children educated consistent with their faith.

Learn more about the Supreme Court case Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond: https://adflegal.org/drummond

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Governor Signs Religious Freedom Bill into Law

Religious Freedom,
Above: Sen. Stubblefield and Rep. Lundstrum present H.B. 1615 in committee. The bill passed at the Arkansas Legislature, and Gov. Sanders signed it into law last week.

Last week Gov. Sanders announced that she had signed a good religious freedom bill into law.

H.B. 1615 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) will help ensure that religious organizations and religious individuals are not penalized for living out their deeply held religious convictions.

This good law is especially important for people who have religious convictions about biological sex and marriage.

Over the years, wedding venues, bakeries, photography studios, florist shops, and others have been dragged into court simply because their owners wanted to operate according to their deeply held convictions.

Nobody should be forced to choose between their religious convictions and their livelihood, and nobody should be punished for obeying their conscience. H.B. 1615 will help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion in Arkansas.

Family Council wants to thank Rep. Lundstrum and Sen. Stubblefield for sponsoring H.B. 1615. We appreciate the General Assembly passing this measure, and we are grateful to Gov. Sanders for signing it into law.

Arkansas has a longstanding tradition of affirming and protecting the free exercise of religion. H.B. 1615 is a good law that will help the state continue to do exactly that.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Senate Committee Passes Good Religious Freedom Measure

Religious Freedom,

On Monday the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a good bill to protect religious freedom in Arkansas.

H.B. 1615 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R — Elm Springs) and Sen. Gary Stubblefield (R — Branch) would ensure that religious organizations and religious individuals are not penalized for living out their deeply held religious convictions.

This good bill is especially important for people who have religious convictions about biological sex and marriage.

Over the years, wedding venues, bakeries, photography studios, florist shops, and others have been dragged into court simply because their owners wanted to operate according to their deeply held convictions. Nobody should be forced to choose between their religious convictions and their livelihood, and nobody should be punished for obeying their conscience.

H.B. 1615 will help prevent the government from burdening the free exercise of religion in Arkansas.

The bill passed in the Arkansas House of Representatives last week. It now goes to the entire Arkansas Senate for a final vote.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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