Month: June 2021

Earlier this year OKHPR helped to pass SB 658. This legislation prohibits public schools and higher education from mandating the covid-19 vaccine and from discriminatory mask mandates for unvaccinated students only. (To read what else the law does, click here). SB 658 was signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt on May 28th.

In a recent news article, University of Oklahoma Dean of Students, David Surratt and and OU Chief COVID Officer Dr. Dale Bratzler revealed that SB 658 halted their plans to mandate the covid-19 vaccine for students. When asked why OU was not mandating the vaccine Bratzler said “I would love to, but state law was passed and signed by the governor … that explicitly prohibits in-state institutions, colleges, universities and schools from requiring vaccination as a condition of attendance or admittance. We cannot mandate (the) vaccine in Oklahoma.”

OU also lifted its campus mask mandate on June 7th, following Governor Kevin Stitt’s executive order prohibiting Oklahoma agencies from requiring masks. “The executive order … explicitly keeps us from requiring a mask for unvaccinated individuals, which is one thing we wanted to do but cannot do now,” Bratzler said.

We are very thankful for Governor Stitt’s leadership in the area of medical freedom. This interview is proof that SB 658 and the executive order signed by the Governor were necessary pieces of legislation in order to ensure that Oklahomans’ medical freedoms continue to be protected!

Read the full interview with OU staff here.

We are getting many questions about children who are currently in summer school. SB 658 goes into effect on July 1st. Email SB 658 to your local schools and let them know you will notify your legislators and advocacy groups if they do not revise their policies by July 1st to be in compliance with the new law. After July 1st you can report non-compliance with SB 658 here.

2021 has been a HUGE success for health freedom & parental rights in Oklahoma. There are many more small victories that we couldn’t fit here but if you get our weekly newsletter then you know! You can sign up as a member to receive weekly newsletters here.

One thing that we have learned is that NOW is not the time to get complacent. Keep inviting people to join and donate using the button below!

You may have seen that last Friday after signing SB 658 into law, Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order that bans state agencies from requiring covid-19 vaccines or masks. 

Under the order “all buildings and office space, owned or leased by the State of Oklahoma and open to the public shall rescind any mandate for the wearing of masks in order to receive government services.”

The action also stated that “all state agencies are hereby prohibited from requiring a vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of admittance to any public building.”

Send a thank you to Governor Stitt for providing health freedom for state employees and all Oklahoma
citizens who use and visit those state services.

While this is an important first step, we are still requesting that the Governor sign an executive order that protects all Oklahomans from vaccine passports. Please sign and share the petition against vaccine passports using the button below.