Senator Sykes Pleased by Passage of State Questions

State Sen. Anthony Sykes said he was extremely pleased by the overwhelming support voters gave for a Constitutional amendment to make English the state’s official language and a second Constitutional amendment to ban Oklahoma courts from considering international or Sharia law when making decisions. Sykes, R-Moore, was the Senate author of legislation placing the two questions before voters.

“I’m extremely pleased that both questions were not only approved, but passed by overwhelming margins,” Sykes said. “Yesterday’s awesome support of these two state questions reflects the values and ideals so important to citizens in every part of Oklahoma.”

State Question 751 is a Constitutional amendment that requires all official state actions to be conducted in English, protecting Oklahoma from costly legal actions seeking to force the state to provide services in multiple languages. It received the highest percentage of approval of the nine state questions passed.
State Question 755 is a Constitutional amendment forbidding Oklahoma courts from using foreign or Sharia law as a basis for any legal decisions. Sharia is Islamic law based on the Quran and is used to govern such countries as Iran.

“Certainly each of these measures had critics, but the crushing margins by which these Constitutional amendments passed shows without a doubt that those critics are deeply out of touch with the values and views of Oklahomans, just as Washington D.C. is out of touch with America,” Sykes said.

Sykes serves as Majority Whip and represents Cleveland, Grady, McClain and Stephens Counties.