For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Angela Allmond, Communications Director
Oklahoma Democratic Party
angela@okdemocrats.org

Oklahoma Democratic Party Demands Legislative Apology and Censure

OKLAHOMA CITY, APRIL 7, 2021 – During the debate about SB612, Republican Representative Jim Olsen suggested that he would rather be an alive slave than a dead baby because, as he stated, the fight to end abortion is more important than the fight to end slavery.

“The constant barrage of cavalier racism is a distinct sign that Oklahoma is not doing fine. This is not the first time in this session alone that in debating the abortion issue, a Republican legislator evoked a racist trope to defend their indefensible position,” declared Alicia Andrews, Chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

”Oklahoma’s Republican legislators championed a bill to prohibit racial and gender diversity education in our schools. Perhaps if these lawmakers were exposed to a broader history, they would have developed a better understanding of the dangers this type of language presents.

“Olsen’s language underscores just how desperate Republicans are. Abortion rates have declined by 19.6% in the last decade, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The GOP knows that they will not have this baseless yet divisive issue to scare their base for much longer. They have decided to revive the oldest, most despicable boogie man – race,” continued Andrews.

“The Oklahoma Democratic Party demands not only an apology from Representative Olsen but also that Speaker of the Oklahoma House, Charles McCall, immediately censures Olsen. Moreover, we request that all Oklahoma House Representatives undergo Diversity and Inclusion training conducted by a nationally recognized facilitator before this session is over and at the beginning of every session in the future,” concluded Andrews.

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For more information about the Oklahoma Democratic Party, visit the party website at okdemocrats.org, or call party headquarters at 405-427-3366.