The FFRF Action Fund needs your help in opposing Senate Bill 1679!
Senate Bill 1679, misleadingly titled the “Preserving Oklahoma Values Act,” represents a dangerous and unconstitutional attempt to entangle government with religion and undermine fundamental legal protections.
SB 1679 would declare that any court decision, contract, or legal provision based in whole or in part on “foreign law” is void if it conflicts with vaguely defined “Judeo-Christian Western values.” While framed as a defense of constitutional rights, the bill instead pushed the deeply flawed notion that the nation was founded on a singular “Judeo-Christian” value system and elevates a specific religious worldview into state law, directly violating the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause.
The bill’s main flaw is the vague standard mandating enforceability based on “Judeo-Christian Western values.” This forces courts and officials to judge laws and agreements by perceived religious values, creating the religious entanglement forbidden by the Constitution. By prioritizing one religious tradition — or nonreligion — the government violates the Establishment Clause.
This bill is unnecessary: Courts already have well-established principles for evaluating judicial decisions. SB 1679 does not fill a legal gap; it manufactures one by injecting vague ideological criteria into judicial decision-making. As a result, it would create confusion, inconsistent rulings, and legal uncertainty for individuals and families.
FFRF Action Fund strongly opposes SB 1679 because it:
- Violates the separation of church and state by elevating “Judeo-Christian values” into law
- Invites unconstitutional religious favoritism and discrimination
- Creates legal uncertainty and burdens taxpayers with unnecessary litigation
- Undermines equal protection by applying uneven standards
Oklahomans deserve laws grounded in the Constitution, not in religious ideology. Please help us urge lawmakers to reject SB 1679 and uphold the fundamental American principle of secular government! Contact your state legislators today and tell them to vote NO on SB 1679. We have included suggested language through the “Take Action” button that can be edited by clicking or tapping on the pencil icon. The best way to get your lawmakers’ attention is to share your personal perspective, so please take the time to share your own story if you can. For best results, please be succinct and polite.
(Note: You must live in Oklahoma in order to take part in this action alert.)