By CHLOE GRUSING
Editorial Editor
Next week is Valentine’s Day and most couples, and single people too, will be spending the day celebrating with their partner or friends.
The day is meant to be for romance and enjoying the love between each other.
There are many ways to embrace the holiday, most involve an intimate night or day with another person.
Not all couples celebrating are married, and here in Oklahoma, there may be a new set of rules with how citizens can enjoy the day.
The Oklahoma Senate is hearing a bill proposed by Dusty Deevers, a newly elected senator ready to make his splash in the legal waters. Oklahoma Senate Bill 1976, according to Business Insider, will work to make pornographic images illegal in the state, punishable by jail time or hefty fines.
The basis of the bill is to enforce laws regarding child pornography, making punishments harsh and laying out what qualifies as such material. There is a section of the bill that pertains to something else though, sending nudes between unmarried couples.
Section 1024.2 states that child pornography shall be illegal to possess, along with obtaining nude images from another person, excluding spouses from sending images from one another.
“It shall be unlawful for any person to buy, procure, view or possess child pornography or obscene materials or to distribute any unlawful pornography…”
While I do support the need to take down child porn images and punish the people involved in supporting those materials, the bill doesn’t just plan to get rid of those images.
Deevers is a Baptist preacher that openly supports far right ideals, and is using his platform to push his beliefs on others.
I feel Deevers is using his platform to push an agenda that supports blurring the line between church and state, using his religion as a ploy to do so. This is a violation of the first admendment, as not everyone is obligated to follow a belief.
If the bill was pertaing to another religious belief, for example not eating pork, there would be uproar because Baptist religion doesn’t follow such docturine.
He creates the bill focusing on child porn, but subtly sneaks in religious propaganda by making sending and creating porn illegal for unmarried people.
Deevers does this on purpose, as almost every person alive supports the banning and punishment of child pornography. By putting the distribution of pornographic material between unmarried adults in a section that opens with distributing child porn, there seems to be a different agenda at play.
Doing more research into Deevers, I have found when he won his election he posted on X (formally known as Twitter),
“Here in Oklahoma, it’s time to abolish abortion, abolish pornography, abolish the state income tax and give power and equal representation back to the people!”
The new senator perfectly aligns with the far right, and is already adding pork belly sections to his 1976 Bill going through the senate right now.
He has the power to enforce his personal agenda onto the people of Oklahoma, as he wants to appeal to right wing front runners like Trump and Mike Johnson, who is Speaker of the House.
It is important for us students to be aware of the laws coming into place, as I am positive most college students have sent nude photos to someone before. If this bill passes it could affect you and your peers.
Deevers is going to use his time in government to pass as many restrictive bills as possible, and he is proud of it.
His campaign promises include banning abortion and porn, plus he does not support the LGBTQ+ community. I can almost guarantee Deevers will cause much more harm than good, as he uses his platform for his own gain, not for the betterment of Oklahoma residents. Oklahoma is a state in need of strong and impartial laws, this senator will not provide that.
If your are able to go out and vote I strongly encourage you to do so. Please register to vote by the deadline in your counties. The future of Oklahoma could be affected by your vote.
