logo
Login Subscribe
Google Play App Store
  • News
    • Obituaries
    • Lifestyle
    • Opinions
  • Sports
  • E-edition
  • Calendar
  • Archives
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisers
    • Form Submission
    • About Us
    • News
      • Obituaries
      • Lifestyle
      • Opinions
    • Sports
    • E-edition
    • Calendar
    • Archives
    • Contact
      • Contact Us
      • Advertisers
      • Form Submission
      • About Us
Walters’ Faith Committee wants Ten Commandments in every public classroom
news
July 12, 2023
Walters’ Faith Committee wants Ten Commandments in every public classroom
By Jennifer Palmer Oklahoma Watch,

A committee examining prayer in schools asked the state Board of Education to require every classroom to display a poster of the Ten Commandments and require students to take a course on Western civilization for graduation.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced the recommendations at last week’s state Board of Education meeting. The committee also wants the state to enforce an existing state statute requiring a minute of silence at the start of every school day.

Walters urged all schools to “begin faithfully observing” the one-minute of silence right away — and not cut it short for a “moment” of silence although state law allows for “approximately one minute.”

“We’re going to continue to look at every way possible to ensure everyone’s religious liberties are protected,” Walters said.

Though not up for a board vote, the recommendations were part of Walters’ superintendent update. The Legislature sets state graduation requirements, not the board of education.

Any requirement to display the Ten Commandments would surely be contested in court. The Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2015 ordered a Ten Commandments monument removed from the grounds of the state Capitol, and voters in 2016 rejected an attempt to repeal a section of the state constitution that prohibits public money from being spent for religious purposes that would have allowed the monument’s return.

Walters announced the formation of the committee during February’s board meeting at the request of a group of religious leaders who wrote to him Feb. 14.

“We are requesting you take every action possible to allow corporate prayer and expressions of faith in God back in our public school system,” wrote Wade Burleson, Jesse Leon Rodgers, Bob Linn, Howard Hatcher, Mike Biggs and Jackson Lahmeyer.

All but one of them ultimately served on the 11-member committee. None are educators.

In February, Walters said he would select the committee members, but on Thursday he said “they weren’t chosen by us.” The committee’s work was completed outside the agency.

Fr. Stephen Hamilton, a pastor at St. Monica Catholic Church in Edmond, chaired the committee, which met over two-and-a-half months. Their stated goal was to “reflect upon the founding principles of the United States and the place that Christian faith, virtue, and morality plays in making this Nation such a place of blessing…” Other members of the committee are Lahmeyer, pastor at Sheridan.Church in Tulsa and founder of Pastors For Trump, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2022; Burleson, a retired Baptist pastor who also unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2022; Rodgers, president of Tulsa-based City Elders; Linn, president of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee; Hatcher; Michelin Butler-Lopez; Derwin Romani; Masood Abdul-Haqq; Aiya Kelley; and Silvie Tacker.

Jennifer Palmer has been a reporter with Oklahoma Watch since 2016 and covers education. Contact her at (405) 761-0093 or jpalmer@oklahomawatch. org. Follow her on Twitter @jpalmerOKC.

Whole Hawg Days on the horizon
A: Main, news
Whole Hawg Days on the horizon
July 16, 2025
Get ready for another fun-filled weekend as the 41st Annual Whole Hawg Arts & Crafts Festival prepares to get underway, Friday and Saturday, July 25-26. The festival will consist of Arts & Crafts, a r...
A: Main, news
Eufaula Chamber of Commerce Rodeo debuts
July 16, 2025
The rodeo is woven into the fabric of Eufaula history. Long before the annual rodeo was held at the fairgrounds, there were rodeos in an area of the city now a part of the cove where there are softbal...
A: Main, news
Check with the City before starting work
July 16, 2025
As more residents and property owners take on home improvement projects, the City of Eufaula is reminding the public of a key first step: check with the City before you begin. Whether you   are buildi...
Eufaula hires full-time fire chief
A: Main, news
Eufaula hires full-time fire chief
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
July 16, 2025
Eufaula didn’t have to look far for its first full-time fire chief. Checotah Fire Chief Greg Carmack has been offered the job, replacing volunteer Fire Chief Chad French. The decision to hire someone ...
Checotah says goodbye to cowboy legend Bill Duvall
A: Main, news
Checotah says goodbye to cowboy legend Bill Duvall
By LaDonna Rhodes Staff Writer 
July 16, 2025
When Bill Duvall was called to meet His Maker in the Great Round Up in the sky this past Sunday, Checotah lost one of its best storytellers and legendary cowboys ever. Thankfully his legacy will live ...
A: Main, news
Hats off to those credited with keeping the roundup club and rodeo alive
By Current Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 
July 16, 2025
Serena Kleveter, director Jay Hunn, president Zach McQuay Roxanne Loyd Kathy Turner Jeanette Smith Torie Anderson Peter Lee 1940-50 Doc Thurman Doc Gawf Dub Hammett 1960-70 Glen Pittman Fred Wendel Ho...
ePaper
google_play
app_store
Editor Picks
A: Main, news
Commissioners pass moratorium
July 16, 2025
TransAlta of Canada announced six months ago that it no longer planned to develop a wind turbine farm in McIntosh County. However, county commissioners wanted to make sure TransAlta or any other wind ...
news
Auditions for The Dancing Princesses open to all
July 16, 2025
If you’ve ever thought acting on stage might be fun, here’s your chance to find out. The Eufaula Performing and Arts Club is opening auditions for their next play to any would-be actor ages 10 and up....
news
McIntosh County GOP News
By LYNELLE MEDLEY CHAIRMAN 
July 16, 2025
Our potluck at the last meeting was so much fun and we had a fabulous turnout -- thank you to all of McIntosh County for supporting the Republican Party. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. It w...
news
Man facing obscenity charges
July 16, 2025
Ryan Troy Dick, 52-year-old Sallisaw resident, is being held in the McIntosh County Jail pending his preliminary hearing on charges related to indecent photographs and videos sent to a former girlfrie...
news
Juvenile dies following accident near Longtown
July 16, 2025
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reports that a juvenile, whose name and age are being withheld, was fatally injured in a single-vehicle accident that took place at about 10:30 p.m. on July 4. The deceased...
Facebook

THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL
100 N. 2nd Street
Eufaula, OK 74432

(918) 689-2191

This site complies with ADA requirements

© 2023 THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Policy