Southwest
Parents and students need school choice, not religious bigotry
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Politicians across the nation claim they want a world-class education system that ensures every child receives the education they deserve.
How we get there is the source of debate. Despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars in recent decades on our public education system, we have very little to show. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. hovers near the middle of the pack internationally in standardized test scores even as other countries have advanced. One report said, “The U.S. struggled the most in math, where 15-year-olds in 29 other countries had higher average scores than Americans.”
This is unacceptable. And while there are a variety of reasons for our education stagnation, we believe that one answer is to provide families more choice, including private, religious schools.
AHEAD OF KEY SUPREME COURT ARGUMENTS, HERE’S WHICH STATES HAVE PASSED SCHOOL CHOICE MEASURES
Parents in Oklahoma have been fighting for more education freedom for decades. One way Oklahoma responded was by expanding access for new and innovative charter schools as alternatives for parents seeking a better education for their children, including offerings such as a French-immersion school.
The U.S. Supreme Court will decide if Oklahoma can let a Catholic school join its charter program. What will the court have to say? FILE: The court is seen on Nov. 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib, File)
But Oklahoma’s choice is under attack once again at the United States Supreme Court.
In Oklahoma, we have been battling two different lawsuits trying to destroy faith-based options for parents to choose. The ACLU, Freedom from Religion Foundation and others filed the first suit. Shockingly, the attorney general of Oklahoma, Gentner Drummond, filed the second.
The aim of both suits is to prevent the Statewide Charter School Board and our Oklahoma Department of Education from treating St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School the same as every other applicant who applies to be a charter school simply because it is faith-based. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear arguments in the case.
Oklahoma is rural. To ensure parents in rural areas have expanded choices, virtual options are available. We believe in Oklahoma that parents are best positioned to determine the educational needs of their own children and that the Oklahoma Department of Education should give parents as many options as possible to meet a diverse array of needs. Some parents may choose their local school, some parents may choose a brick-and-mortar charter school in their area, some parents may prefer a virtual approach.
St. Isidore applied to be one of those options. They met all the academic criteria we require in Oklahoma to be a qualified option for parents. However, the ACLU and Attorney General Drummond objected, claiming that the state must discriminate against St. Isidore because it is Catholic.
Supporters of school choice responded that we are simply trying to expand options for parents, and we are not allowed to violate the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution.
In fact, we felt bound by prior U.S. Supreme Court decisions prohibiting this kind of religious bigotry in educational choices, including Carson v. Makin, a recent case won by the Institute for Justice and First Liberty Institute against the state of Maine for doing precisely what Drummond is demanding be done here – engaging in religious bigotry against a faith-based educational option.
The argument, advanced by the ACLU and Drummond, is that religious bigotry is enshrined in the Oklahoma Constitution because it has two provisions that work together to prohibit government resources from aiding a faith-based educational program.
These provisions are sometimes called “little Blaine Amendments,” because they harken back to efforts by Senator James Blaine from Maine in the late 19th Century to ensure that no public funds would go to Catholic schools but rather would be reserved to the more Protestant-friendly public schools.
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This effort to ban Catholic schools from receiving any aid is a “doctrine, born of bigotry,” according to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. It is this bigotry that the ACLU and Drummond are attempting to continue, and it is this bigotry that we intend to end in Oklahoma.
For decades, politicians and activists pointed fingers at each other, each trying to blame another for the educational ills of our home state. Almost every solution offered sounds different and promising, but they usually have the same thing in common – they are government-led solutions.
We are trying to do something different in Oklahoma. We are trying to empower parents to decide for their families and force schools to compete for parents in an open market system. Some parents would like a faith-based option.
St. Isidore applied to be one of those options. They met all the academic criteria we require in Oklahoma to be a qualified option for parents. However, the ACLU and Attorney General Drummond objected, claiming that the state must discriminate against St. Isidore because it is Catholic.
Excluding that option in the name of 19th century religious bigotry is just another political agenda driving education policy.
Instead of fighting against parents and telling them that government officials know what is best for their children, we should instead listen to them. There is hope that the Supreme Court will give us this chance, a chance to take power away from government bureaucrats and give it back to the people.
Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction since 2023, is a former high school history teacher and education reform advocate committed to parental empowerment and conservative policy initiatives in public education. Hiram Sasser is executive general counsel for First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom for all.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HIRAM SASSER
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM RYAN WALTERS
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Southwest
Multiple fatalities reported as Mexican Navy plane crashes off Texas coast, recovery effort underway
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A Mexican Navy aircraft conducting a medical support mission crashed near the Galveston Causeway in Texas on Monday, prompting a multi-agency response from local law enforcement and Texas officials as investigators began working to determine the cause.
The Mexican Navy secretary said on X that one of the Navy’s planes was conducting a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation when it experienced an incident during its approach near Galveston, Texas.
The Mexican Navy said in a statement that the aircraft involved was a King Air ANX 1209.
HELICOPTER CRASH CLOSES MAJOR SACRAMENTO HIGHWAY, SENDING MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO LOCAL HOSPITALS
Galveston Bay connects Houston, Texas to the Gulf Of Mexico. (Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2023)
According to the Mexican Navy, eight people were on board the aircraft – four naval crew members and four civilians – when it crashed during its approach near Galveston.
Search and rescue protocols were immediately activated following the crash in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, which has rescued six people so far. Four were found alive, while two deaths have been confirmed. Efforts remain underway to rescue two additional people still believed to be inside the wreckage, the Mexican Navy said.
EX-NASCAR STAR GREG BIFFLE’S DEADLY PLANE CRASH RECALLS SEVERAL AVIATION TRAGEDIES TO HIT SPORTS WORLD
A Mexican Navy aircraft conducting a medical support mission crashed near the Galveston Causeway, triggering a multi-agency response and investigation. (Credit: KRIV)
According to the Michou and Mau Foundation’s website, its vision is to “provide assistance so that children with severe burns have the best advanced treatment programs and multidisciplinary care.”
The Mexican Navy added that search and rescue efforts were immediately activated in coordination with local authorities.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said its personnel also responded to the plane crash near the base of the causeway.
US GOVERNMENT ADMITS FAULT IN DEADLY POTOMAC RIVER COLLISION THAT KILLED 67 PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON DC
A Mexican Navy aircraft conducting a medical support mission crashed near the Galveston Causeway, triggering a multi-agency response and investigation. (Credit: KRIV)
“Sheriff’s Office personnel, including the dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol are assisting at the scene,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is leading the crash investigation with the help of the sheriff’s office and Galveston Police Department.
Fox News Digital has reached out to DPS and the Michou and Mau Foundation for additional information about the crash.
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Search and recovery efforts are underway as the investigation continues.
This is a developing story.
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Southwest
Multiple people, including pregnant woman, struck by alleged drunk driver at Navajo Nation Christmas parade
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An alleged drunk driver struck multiple people at a Christmas parade on the Navajo Nation in Arizona on Monday, according to officials.
The Navajo Police Department said officers responded at about 5 p.m. after four people were struck by a driver who was allegedly intoxicated. The driver drove into the parade route as bystanders were waiting for it to start.
Police confirmed “life was [lost] during this tragic event as family gathered for this joyous occasion to brighten the holiday season.”
DRUNK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO CRASH THAT KILLED VIKINGS’ KHYREE JACKSON
Police confirmed “life was [lost] during this tragic event as family gathered for this joyous occasion to brighten the holiday season.” (Navajo Police Department)
Damages to vehicles and property were also reported.
The driver was arrested and transported to the local Department of Corrections.
“A tragic event during the holidays can change someone’s life and hurt families across the Navajo Nation,” police wrote on Facebook. “If you see someone who may be impaired, take their keys, help them get home safely, or call your local Navajo Police Department.”
TRUCK DRIVER ARRESTED ON HOMICIDE CHARGES IN FIERY WRECK THAT KILLED 8 FAMILY MEMBERS
The driver was arrested and transported to the local Department of Corrections. (Navajo Police)
The incident remains under investigation. The FBI and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation are assisting Navajo police in the investigation.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said the people hit by the vehicle include a “young person” who remains in critical condition and a pregnant woman.
“This event was meant to bring joy, unity, and holiday spirit to our community—and is a time for families to come together and celebrate,” Nygren wrote on Facebook. “No one should have to experience tragedy during a season meant for love and togetherness.”
The FBI and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation are assisting Navajo Police in the investigation. (Getty Images)
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Kayenta Township said “an accident occurred along Navajo Route 591 near the Kayenta Rodeo Grounds.”
“Our primary concern is the well-being of those affected. We ask that you keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers,” the community wrote on its Facebook page.
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Southwest
GOP governor lays out plan to ‘purge’ terrorists and terror supporters from state
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After designating two prominent Islamic groups “foreign terrorist organizations,” Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott gave insight into his plan to “purge” both terrorists and terror supporters from his state.
Abbott, who is a close ally of President Donald Trump and is running for a fourth term as governor, recently issued a proclamation designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Brotherhood as “foreign terrorist organizations” and “transnational criminal organizations” under Texas law.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Abbott explained that the designation means that CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood and their affiliates are prohibited from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas. The proclamation also authorizes state agencies to take heightened enforcement measures and legal action against the two organizations.
In response, two Texas CAIR chapters filed a federal lawsuit against Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, arguing that the proclamation violates the U.S. Constitution by exceeding state authority and infringing on due process rights.
TEXAS GOV ABBOTT DECLARES CAIR, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS TERRORIST GROUPS, PREVENTING LAND PURCHASES
Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. (Getty Images)
Abbott, however, appeared undaunted.
He said that the “very important point” of his actions is to show that “when we as a state or we as a country step up and show there are legal consequences for you trying to violate religious freedom, when you try to impose your religion on somebody else, or whether you may be supporting some type of terror group, that there’s going to be consequences to it, that you will be brought into a court of law and be held accountable.”
“Any organization that supports terrorism, that harbors people who have provided material support for terrorism, is not allowed to exist in our state,” said Abbott, adding, “We will purge them from our state, they should be purged from our country, and they definitely should not be receiving tax-exempt status in our country.”
Shortly after Abbott’s proclamation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order similarly designating CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. The order bars the groups from receiving state contracts, funding, employment, or benefits, and prohibits state agencies from working with them or entities deemed to support them.
Additionally, Trump signed an executive order initiating the federal process for several Muslim Brotherhood chapters to be designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
On Dec. 2, Abbott sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent requesting the suspension of CAIR’s tax-exempt status.
MUSLIM GROUPS, OTHER LEADERS DEMAND ABBOTT RESCIND CAIR’S ‘TERRORIST’ DESIGNATION: ‘DEFAMATORY’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also designated CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. (Rebecca Blackwell, File/AP Photo)
Though CAIR has pushed back, calling Abbott’s claims false, the governor said, “If they don’t want to be labeled a terrorist, they have to stop supporting terrorism. It’s that simple.”
He said that both the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR have a “long, well-established history with terrorism.” He pointed to CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, reportedly speaking highly of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel and the Dallas-Fort Worth CAIR chapter advocating on behalf of Marwan Marouf, a Jordanian national set to be deported by ICE after allegedly making donations to a charity known to funnel money to Hamas.
“There’s a massive difference between religion and terrorism,” said Abbott. “It doesn’t matter what religious belief you may believe in or adhere to, if you support terrorism in any way, that is a crime, it has to be rooted out, has to eliminated, I don’t care who you are or what religion you’re a part of.”
In response, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, deputy director of CAIR, shot back at Abbott. In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Mitchell said that “Governor Abbott is an Israel First politician who has spent years trying to smear and silence Texans who oppose the waste of American taxpayer dollars on the Israeli government’s war crimes.”
Mitchell said that “CAIR is an independent American civil rights organization that has spent 31 years speaking up against all forms of unjust violence, including hate crimes, terrorism, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.”
“In fact, CAIR condemned terrorism so often that ISIS called for the assassination of our leadership,” said Mitchell.
TRUMP MOVES AGAINST MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AS ISLAMIST GROUP SPREADS IN WEST
Supporters of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood take part in a protest in the village of Sweimeh, near the Jordanian border with the occupied West Bank, on May 21, 2021. (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP via Getty Images)
“CAIR has strongly condemned the Israeli government’s decades of violent oppression against the Palestinian people, and CAIR has also condemned Hamas violence against Israeli civilians, from suicide bombings in the 1990s to attacks on Oct. 7th. That’s called moral consistency, something Greg Abbott and other supporters of the Gaza genocide know nothing about,” he went on, adding, “Abbott is upset with CAIR because our civil rights group filed the lawsuits that defeated his last three attempts to shred the First Amendment for the benefit of the Israeli government.”
“We are suing Governor Abbott again now to block his lawless proclamation and we look forward to defeating him for the fourth time in a row, God willing, so that we can protect the constitutional rights of all Americans,” he said.
The Muslim Brotherhood did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment by the time of publication.
On what other actions he will take next to crack down on terrorism in Texas, Abbott hinted there will be more coming from the Lone Star State on his border enforcement strategies.
“During my next term as governor, Trump will no longer be president. So, while he’s working for the next three years to secure the border, we’re going to be in the process of working for the next three decades to ensure that we have a secure border,” he explained.
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Texas law enforcement patrols the border between the U.S. and Mexico. (Fox News)
“In the next session, we’re going to be going back to the drawing board and finding out what works, what needs to be augmented, what we must do to continue the safe and secure border practices we have now, knowing this also that must be underscored.
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“Look at all the people who in the United States are killing others, committing crimes to others, who are here illegally,” he said. “The shooter at Brown, the murderer of the people at Brown University as well as at MIT, was here on a green card, unvetted. The shooter of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., here illegally, unvetted, was an Afghan. And then, an example here in Houston, Texas, just recently, there was an illegal immigrant who was arrested for murder. It turned out he had committed multiple murders in the Houston area, completely unvetted.”
“We as a country, and Texas as a state, we have to be much more demanding as it concerns who is entering our country. Are they safe for our country? Should they be allowed in? Americans deserve that brand of safety.”
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