One Oklahoma legislator has introduced a package of new legislation to implement some very old principles.
Republican state Senator Dusty Deevers of Oklahoma, who was elected after promising to support laws establishing biblical standards of justice and conduct, is calling for the abolition of no-fault divorce, equating abortion with murder, severe punishments for lying in criminal cases and a ban on pornography, according to the Republic Sentinel.
The sweeping proposals were offered by Deevers, who is the pastor of the Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Elgin, Oklahoma.
Deevers said he has filed the proposals to keep faith with the people who voted for him.
“Because they voted me into office, I, as their servant, filed the bills that represented many of the reasons they elected me,” he said.
“It is my honor to represent their voice as calling for the elimination of the income tax, abolition of abortion, ban of pornography, repeal of no-fault divorce, criminal justice reform, improving our financial situation, and improving election integrity. It is my prayer that as we enter the next phase of hearing and debating the merits of the bills that the voice of southwest Oklahoma will be heard, that I will serve and honor my Lord, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the United States Constitution as I stand accountable to them,” he said.
In a December Op-Ed in American Reformer, Deevers explained why he wants to abolish no-fault divorce in a bill that severely limits the conditions under which a divorce could be granted.
“There is a crisis in America. A crisis of broken homes. A crisis of broken-down castles that should be the beacon of safety and stability. They are falling to ruins. They fall because the foundation upon which they must rest is not one of mortar and stone but one of God’s uniting covenant with the man and woman, and the esteeming of this covenant is in jeopardy,” he wrote.
“Destroying marriage is a means to remake the world. Marriage and strong families are the frontier fortifications that secure the way of life of their civilization and nation. Strong marriages and homes are the safe places that we run to when our way of life is faltering,” he wrote.
Would you like to see Dusty Deevers’ bills become laws?
“Regressives want to deconstruct the family in order to reconstruct a society where the state is the father and the citizens are state-dependents rather than marriage dependents. Now, you know the big picture of how the state becomes the father-god, and the Creator God is cast off,” he wrote.
Deevers said marriages are essential to a functioning society.
“When a man leaves his father and mother, and he and his wife become one flesh, that is the foundation of a strong nation and civilization. Let no man tear it asunder. And if any man does so, let him face the full weight of the law,” he wrote.
“Governing for the common good is the charge of all sitting in public office. It is abundantly clear that the current regime of No-Fault Divorce has torn down the castles that uphold the strength of the realm. We must do away with this policy for the justice of the oppressed, the strength of the nation, and the future of humanity,” he wrote.
In the bill to punish those who have abortions, Deevers would remove existing law that does not punish a mother for the death of her unborn child, and implement language saying “Even where the charge in murder, the provisions of this section shall apply if the victim is an unborn child and the defendant is the child’s mother.”
Praise God for what He has done!
I could not be more thankful to my family, my supporters, and my amazing team of hardworking volunteers.
Our team took a no-compromise stance against the greatest evils of our day and for the freedom and liberty of the people. We defeated some… pic.twitter.com/D1XXpM7Xgs
— Dusty Deevers (@DustyDeevers) December 13, 2023
The proposal to ban pornography would define “unlawful pornography” as content depicting “sexual intercourse which is normal or perverted.” Deevers said he will develop amendments to the bill to penalize distribution and viewing of pornography.
Under a change in the law on falsely reporting crimes, Deevers seeks to punish those who make false reports by having them sentenced for the crime they falsely accused someone of committing.
Deevers has also proposed a wide-ranging series of bills that would eliminate Oklahoma’s income taxes on individuals, couples that file jointly and businesses; require residents to sign an oath when registering to vote and pay out a monthly grocery tax rebate.
