The Oklahoma legislature has begun, and with it, another season of policy proposals that will have profound effects on our community. This year is the last half of the 60th Legislature, meaning that any bills that fail this year are considered “dead” and cannot come back. In addition, the November 2026 elections bring with them the potential for a new governor, new representation at the state and federal level, and the chance to pass initiative petitions that could address some series issues facing our state. All these factors are combining to make this a very contentious and potentially toxic legislative session for our community.
This year is going to be a challenge.
While we normally track a large number of bills through the legislative process, this year, we are focusing on a smaller number of pieces of legislation to provide more focused targets for community advocacy. Here are three of the most serious bills that we will be watching carefully:
- HJR 1040, authored by Gabe Wooley (R-Broken Arrow). This proposal would, if enacted, place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. It would create the “Save Our State Amendment,” forbidding Oklahoma courts from legal at “legal precepts of other nations or cultures (…) specifically, the courts shall not consider international law or Sharia law.” Further, it defines Sharia as Islamic law “based on two principal sources, the Koran and the teaching of Mohammed.” The author, Gabe Wooley, has said that be believes that Sharia law “conflicts with constitutional protections such as free speech, women’s rights and personal liberties” and that it is “a political ideology painted as a religion.”
- Background: Courts have already ruled that anti-Sharia bans are unconstitutional infringements of our First Amendment rights. In 2010, Oklahoma passed a constitutional amendment to attempt to ban Sharia law in the state. In 2012, a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that struck down the Sharia ban, finding that it “singled Islam out for unfavorable treatment in state courts” and that there was not even “a single instance where an Oklahoma court had applied Sharia law (…) let alone that such applications or uses had resulted in concrete problems in Oklahoma.”
- Threat level: HIGH. This bill has been sent to the House Rules committee and has already had several House and Senate members sign as co-authors.
- HJR 1049, authored by J.J. Humphrey (R- Atoka.). Essentially the same as HJR 1040.
- Threat level: MEDIUM. This bill has been assigned to the House Rules committee; the assumption is that it will be scrapped in favor of Wooley’s bill.
- SB 1486, authored by Michael Bergstrom (R-Adair). This bill would designate the Muslim Brotherhood “and its successor organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), as domestic terrorist organizations.” It asks all relevant state agencies to “utilize all applicable authorities to investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations, especially those involving terrorist actions, conducted by the Muslim Brotherhood, CAIR” or any person claiming to act on their behalf.
- Background: this unsubstantiated claim, along with many others, have been thoroughly debunked: https://www.cair.com/dispelling-rumors-about-cair/
- CAIR has filed lawsuits against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about similar attempts to vilify and defame CAIR in their states.
- THREAT LEVEL: HIGH. This bill has been referred to the Senate Rules committee and Senator Dana Prieto has signed as a co-author.
- Background: this unsubstantiated claim, along with many others, have been thoroughly debunked: https://www.cair.com/dispelling-rumors-about-cair/
What you can do:
Your advocacy is critical to safeguard the rights of the Oklahoma Muslim community, its institutions, and its future. We will be watching closely to ensure that these dangerous attempts to silence our community will not pass without a fight.
- Contact the House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton asking that these bills not be heard.
- Contact the House Rules Committee and ask them to vote NO on HJRs 1040 and 1049.
- Contact the Senate Rules Committee and ask them to vote NO on SB 1486.
- Contact the co-authors of HJR 1040, asking them to reconsider their authorship of the bill.
- Ask your state representative and senator to commit to voting NO on these anti-Muslim bills.
Keep in mind: Justice isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.
The legislature will be in session until late May. Between now and then, these and thousands of other bills will be moving through the complicated legislative process. It’s important to understand the legislative process and to stay focused on the targets that matter most. If you need help understanding the legislative process, finding your elected officials, or getting in touch with any of the hundreds of elected officials operating at the Capitol, please reach out to CAIR Oklahoma at info@ok.cair.com . We are proud to be the advocate for the Oklahoma Muslim family and after twenty years of operation in the state of Oklahoma, we have one message for Islamophobes:
We’re not going anywhere.
Your support is deeply appreciated as we enter into one of the most challenging legislative sessions to date. Whether it’s your time, your attention, or your money – in any amount – you are a crucial part of keeping our mission alive in our state for generations to come.