Deevers proposed bills include strengthening abortion ban, ending no-fault divorces

OKLAHOMA CITY — Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, eight bills that he plans to introduce in the upcoming legislative session are designed to restore moral sanity in Oklahoma.

Bills include:

SB456 — The Abolition of Abortion Act: Closes the state’s self-managed abortion loophole. Deevers said while clinics may be prohibited from performing abortions, current pro-life laws allow mothers to order abortion pills online and administer them herself. Recent research from the Foundation to Abolish Abortion shows that an estimated 3,274 self-managed abortions are taking place annually in Oklahoma. “This bill declares that life begins at conception and ensures that no person may lawfully terminate the life of a child in the womb. Preborn children are just as human as we are and our laws should reflect that,” Deevers said.

SB593 – Increasing Penalties for Child Pornography and Prohibiting Pornography in Oklahoma: Heightens existing penalties for the possession, distribution and production of child sexual assault material to 10-to-30 years. It also includes a provision that any subsequent offense for child sexual assault material results in 15-50 years in prison. In addition, the bill prohibits pornography in general, providing for criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison for production, distribution or possession; and 10-to-30 year criminal penalties for organized pornography trafficking.

SB550 – Prohibiting Drag Performances for Children: Would ensure Oklahoma youth are not subjected to adult cabaret performances including Drag Queen Story Hour. Under the bill, the performer would be subject to a prison sentence of one-to-five years, while the organizer of the event would face up to one year behind bars.

SB228 – The Covenant Marriage Act: Would allow couples in Oklahoma to opt into a covenant marriage, based on the traditional understanding of marriage as a binding legal contract with meaningful vows to one another. Covenant marriages would only be able to be dissolved in cases of abuse, adultery, or abandonment. Couples who opt into a covenant marriage would be eligible for a $2,500 tax credit. “This bill is about promoting the religious liberty of people who wish to enter marriage on religious terms, as well as rewarding those who do what is best for their children by committing to one another for life,” Deevers said.

SB829 – Prohibiting No-Fault Divorce: Would end no-fault divorce in Oklahoma by removing “incompatibility” as a justification for divorce, leaving abandonment, gross neglect, extreme cruelty, habitual drunkenness, insanity for a period of five years, adultery, unknown pregnancy, and fraudulent contract as the available justifications. It also establishes that the at-fault parent must pay restitution to their children, in the form of a trust fund that they get access to when they turn 18.

SB281 – The Make Adoption Affordable Again Act: Provides tax credits to families seeking to adopt and to those who donate to adoption-facilitating organizations, reducing financial barriers and encouraging the care of orphaned and vulnerable children. The bill would provide a tax credit of up to $10,000 for individuals and $50,000 for businesses.

SB328 – The Promote Child Thriving Act: Establishes a $500 tax credit per child for a mother and father filing jointly. The credit is escalated to $1,000 if the child was born after the marriage of the parents. “Statistically, growing up in a two-parent household is strongly correlated with virtually every good thing in a child’s life, including educational achievement, emotional health, and staying out of jail,” Deevers said.

SB736 – Equal Tax Status for Health Share Ministries: Grants health share ministries, such as Samaritan Ministries and Liberty Healthshare, the same tax benefits as traditional insurance, ensuring those who opt for these plans are not discriminated against in the tax code.