OKLAHOMA CITY –
The executive order comes just one month ahead of the United States Supreme Court hearing oral arguments over what could be Oklahoma’s first publicly-funded religious charter school.
What the religious freedom executive order does
- Directs state agencies to eliminate laws, regulations, and policies that “exclude religious individuals or institutions from public programs, funds or benefits.
- Mandates a full review and revision of any state law or regulations that “exclude religious entities,” including public education, arts, or historical preservation programs.
- The order follows the state’s 2023 amendment to Oklahoma’s Religious Freedom Act, which says denying access to government programs based solely on religion inhibits the free exercise of religion.
State-funded religious school heads to U.S. Supreme Court
Last June, Oklahoma’s top court held by a 7-1 vote that a taxpayer-funded religious charter school would violate the part of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.”
READ MORE: Supreme Court sets date to hear case on St. Isidore; First publicly-funded religious charter school
The decision followed a 3-2 vote in 2023 by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to approve an application by the archdiocese for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School. The K-12 online school had planned to start classes for its first 200 enrollees last fall, with part of its mission to evangelize its students in the Catholic faith.
A group of Oklahoma parents, faith leaders, and a public education nonprofit sued to block the school.
Religious Freedom at the center of debate in Oklahoma
Governor Stitt and dozens of others filed briefs in the Supreme Court case over St. Isidore in March, supporting the Oklahoma State Charter School Board.
Oklahoma religious charter school receives support from Gov. Stitt, dozens more
Stitt argued, “Faith-based institutions have the same right to public programs as any other entity.”
Also on Monday, Oklahoma attorney General and 2026 Gubernatorial candidate, Gentner Drummond filed a brief in the Supreme Court case. Drummond said in the brief that a state-sponsored and taxpayer-funded religious public school violates the United States Constitution.
LATEST: Oklahoma’s proposed state-funded Catholic school violates U.S. Constitution, says A.G. Drummond
Drummond responded Monday to Stitt’s order with the following statement:
“Gov. Stitt has been clear that he supports our tax dollars funding radical Muslim schools teaching Sharia Law, and I couldn’t disagree with him more. If a taxpayer-funded religious charter school is allowed to open in Oklahoma, it will only be a matter of time before taxpayers are funding schools dedicated to Sharia law, Wicca indoctrination, Scientology instruction — even the Church of Satan. As a devoted Christian and a strong supporter of religious liberty, I can tell you that the only way to protect religious liberty is for the state not to sponsor any religion at all — just like our Founding Fathers intended.”
Read the full executive order below:
