OKLAHOMA: Gov. Mary Fallin Defies Order To Remove Ten Commandments Marker

According to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, the Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the state capitol is not an endorsement of Christianity but a "tribute to historical events." So it stays where it is. CNN reports:

"Oklahoma is a state where we respect the rule of law, and we will not ignore the state courts or their decisions. However, we are also a state with three co-equal branches of government," Gov. Marry Fallin said in a statement Tuesday. Fallin said the state attorney general has filed an appeal, while the legislature pursues changes to the state Constitution that makes the monument legally permissible. "During this process, which will involve both legal appeals and potential legislative and constitutional changes, the Ten Commandments monument will remain on the Capitol grounds," she added. Last week, the state Supreme Court ordered the monument removed because it violates the state's constitutional ban against the use of public funds or property to benefit a religion.

Some supporters of the monument have suggested selling the ground underneath it to a private citizen or group.

RELATED: In December 2013 Fallin denied spousal benefits to both straight and gay Oklahoma National Guard members rather than comply with the edict handed down by then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. In 1998 then-Lt. Gov. Fallin divorced her first husband shortly after her Oklahoma Highway Patrol bodyguard was alleged to have had an affair with her.

Oklahoma Gov Has The SCOTUS Sadz

"The people of Oklahoma have the right to determine how marriage is defined. In 2004, Oklahomans exercised that right, voting by a margin of 3-1 to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The will of the people has now been overridden by unelected federal justices, accountable to no one. That is both undemocratic and a violation of states’ rights. Rather than allowing states to make their own policies that reflect the values and views of their residents, federal judges have inserted themselves into a state issue to pursue their own agendas. Today’s decision has been cast by the media as a victory for gay rights. What has been ignored, however, is the right of Oklahomans – and Americans in every state – to write their own laws and govern themselves as they see fit. Those rights have once again been trampled by an arrogant, out-of -control federal government that wants to substitute Oklahoma values with Washington, D.C. values." - Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, via press release. (Tipped by JMG reader Rob)

Oklahoma Botches Execution

The New York Times reports:

What was supposed to be the first of two executions here Tuesday night was halted when the prisoner, Clayton D. Lockett, began to twitch and gasp after he had already been declared unconscious and called out “man” and “something’s wrong,” according to witnesses. The administering doctor intervened and discovered that “the line had blown,” said the director of corrections, Robert Patton, meaning that drugs were no longer flowing into his vein. At 7:06 p.m., Mr. Patton said, Mr. Lockett died of a heart attack. Mr. Patton said he had requested a stay of 14 days in the second execution scheduled for Tuesday night, of Charles F. Warner. It was a chaotic and disastrous step in Oklahoma’s long effort to execute the two men, overcoming their objections that the state would not disclose the source of the drugs being used in a newly tried combination. It did not appear that any of the drugs themselves failed, but rather the method of administration, but it resulted in what witnesses called an agonizing scene.

Lockett was convicted in the 1999 shooting of a 19 year-old girl, who was then buried alive by his accomplices. Gov. Mary Fallin has postponed the second execution pending an investigation.

Gov. Mary Fallin Has The Oklahoma Sadz

"In 2004, the people of Oklahoma voted to amend the state's constitution to define marriage as ‘the union of one man and one woman.’ That amendment passed with 75 percent support. The people of Oklahoma have spoken on this issue. I support the right of Oklahoma's voters to govern themselves on this and other policy matters. I am disappointed in the judge's ruling and troubled that the will of the people has once again been ignored by the federal government." - Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, who in November ordered the National Guard to refuse to register all spouses for benefits rather than allow the spouses of gay National Guard soldiers to do so.

Democrats Slam Christie For Backing Anti-Gay Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin

UPDATE: Garden State Equality is furious.

“As a native Oklahoman, I find Governor Fallin’s anti-LGBT stand reprehensible. Ending service to all rather than offering service to a minority is not equality, it is discrimination of the highest order," said Troy Stevenson, executive director of Garden State Equality. "While Governor Christie has never been a proponent of the freedom to marry, he has always claimed to support equal protections for all. In a time when LGBT rights are quickly becoming a non-partisan issue, it is tragic that Governor Fallin has chosen time and time again to marginalize LGBT Oklahomans."

Facebook Graphic Of The Day

Source.

OKLAHOMA: Gov Denies National Guard Spousal Benefits To ALL Married Couples

GOP Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin today announced that ALL married couples, including straight ones, will be denied marriage benefits at the state's National Guard bases. Last month Fallin threatened to sue the federal government rather than comply with the edict handed down by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

In announcing the decision, Fallin said "Oklahoma law is clear. The state of Oklahoma does not recognize same-sex marriages, nor does it confer marriage benefits to same-sex couples. The decision reached today allows the National Guard to obey Oklahoma law without violating federal rules or policies. It protects the integrity of our state constitution and sends a message to the federal government that they cannot simply ignore our laws or the will of the people." But Hagel has said he will fight the battle to provide equal access to all National Guard families, regardless of sexual orientation. "All spouses of service members are entitled to DoD ID cards, and the benefits that come with them," Hagel said last month. "But several states today are refusing to issue these IDs to same-sex spouses at National Guard facilities. Not only does this violate the states’ obligations under federal law, but their actions have created hardship and inequality by forcing couples to travel long distances to federal military bases to obtain the ID cards they’re entitled to."

Couples who already have their ID cards will continue to be allowed to access benefits. All future applicants, gay and straight, must now travel to a federal facility to get those cards.

UPDATE: I tweeted this post to Fallin and she's responded with the below spin-spin-spin tweet.

OKLAHOMA: Governor Might Sue To Block National Guard Benefits For Gays

On Thursday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that he was ordering all National Guard units to comply with Pentagon policy regarding spousal benefits for gay soldiers. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin may go to court to stop him.

Alex Weintz, spokesman for Gov. Mary Fallin, said she “is working with Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to evaluate the legal options available to the Oklahoma National Guard.” Weintz stopped short of saying Oklahoma will refuse to follow Hagel’s order, but made it clear Fallin would not go along with it willingly. “Gov. Fallin is calling on President Obama and Secretary Hagel to stop using the National Guard as a pawn in a larger social agenda,” said Weintz. “The president has made it clear he supports gay marriage. He has the legal authority to order federal agencies to recognize gay marriages. He does not have the legal authority to force state agencies to do so, or to unilaterally rewrite state laws or state constitutions.”

Following Hagel's edict, Indiana's Attorney General agreed to comply. Other states who have not yet done so: Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia.

OKLAHOMA: Governor Orders National Guard To Deny Gay Marriage Benefits

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R-Duh) is defying the Pentagon and has ordered local National Guard facilities to deny benefits to married same-sex couples.

Fallin spokesman Alex Weintz said the governor was following the wish of Oklahoma voters, who approved a constitutional amendment in 2004 that prohibits giving benefits of marriage to gay couples. "Because of that prohibition, Gov. Fallin's general counsel has advised the National Guard not to process requests for benefits of same-sex couples," Weintz said. "Gay couples that have been legally married in other states will be advised they can apply for those benefits on federal facilities, such as Tinker Air Force Base, rather than state run facilities." After the U.S. Department of Defense began allowing same-sex couples to apply for identification cards and benefits, National Guard officials in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana said they would refuse to process the applications. Like Oklahoma, all three states have gay-marriage bans and are led by socially conservative Republican governors.

A spokesman for the Oklahoma National Guard says that they will now direct applicants to nearby federal facilities. He adds, "We want our soldiers to have all the benefits to which they're entitled to."