News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

This Oklahoma Church is Hosting Some of the Biggest Names in Republican Politics

Published

1 month ago

March 20, 2025

oklahomawatch.org – Em Luetkemeyer – 2025-03-20 10:35:00

A nondenominational church in Oklahoma has become a political hot spot for President Donald Trump’s inner circle.

FBI director Kash Patel promoted his book in the church. Lara Trump phoned Trump on stage. The lawyer Alina Habba talked about Trump’s New York trial. And this month, Eric Trump met there with some of Tulsa’s top CEOs.

The 1,700-member Sheridan Church, which has campuses in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, is led by the pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, an unsuccessful 2022 Senate candidate who has backed Trump since 2015. Lahmeyer, who also founded Pastors for Trump, a coalition to engage the evangelical Christian voter base during Trump’s 2024 campaign, has turned all of that early support for the president into a new role in the White House. He said he’s now part of the White House Faith Office and was in the Oval Office when Trump signed the executive order creating it on Feb. 7.

Lahmeyer said his long relationship with the Trumps has made it so his congregation can hear directly from these high-profile guests.

“They love Oklahoma. They get to come here and they don’t have to feel like they’re going to get attacked,” Lahmeyer said.

He first met members of the Trump family on the campaign trail a long time ago.

Lahmeyer said they’ve come to the church because he’s asked them to.

The president has not attended an event at the church, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.

But Sheridan Church’s events have become something of a hot ticket for Republicans from the state.

“They’re doing a really good job with outreach, and Oklahoma is always hungry to hear anybody with the last name of Trump,” Sen. Markwayne Mullin said. “You can always fill a venue if they’ve got that last name.”

Mullin said the church invites him to join events every time there’s a political guest, but he has yet to be able to attend due to scheduling conflicts.

But plenty of other political figures are using Sheridan Church as a place to reach an audience of conservatives.

Melissa Myers, the newly elected chair of the Tulsa County GOP, said Lahmeyer invites local Republican candidates to speak at the church. That included Myers during her unsuccessful campaign for county commissioner last year, with the church serving as an easy forum to get a message in front of a large audience.

“Even though … all 77 counties in Oklahoma voted for Donald Trump unanimously, we still have to get the information out,” Myers said.

She pointed to the church’s location as a middle-ground hub in the country as reason it has more reach than appears at first glance.

At the start of the month, Sheridan Church hosted a networking luncheon with Eric Trump, attended by some of Tulsa’s top CEOs, as well as Ryan Walters, the superintendent of Oklahoma schools who has been vocal in his support for Trump, to tell business owners about what they can expect from the new administration.

In a written statement, Walters, who has also spoken at the church, said he was proud to support the church and excited to work with Lahmeyer.

“It is an honor to be a guest whenever a member of the Trump family attends,” Walters said. “The shared conservative values that the church and the Trump family have is the core of Oklahoma’s community.”

Lahmeyer was already brainstorming possible future events, indicating that he’s hoping to keep the church as a hub for Republicans in the state.

“Loyalty matters, especially to the Trump family, because they’ve been stabbed in the back by so many in the political world,” Lahmeyer said. “We’ve been through battles. They’re great people. I like them. I hope to think maybe they like me a little. I think that’s probably why they come … and both Don and Eric tell me they’re coming back.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between NOTUS, a publication of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Allbritton Journalism Institute, and Oklahoma Watch.

Em Luetkemeyer is a NOTUS reporter covering the federal government for Oklahoma Watch. Contact her at emmalineluetkemeyer@notus.org

The post This Oklahoma Church is Hosting Some of the Biggest Names in Republican Politics appeared first on oklahomawatch.org

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

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News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

Storms bring record-setting rain, flooding across parts of Oklahoma

Published

3 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – KOCO 5 News – 2025-04-30 22:08:07

SUMMARY: Storms caused record-setting rain and flooding in parts of Oklahoma, leading to dangerous conditions and fatalities. In Pottawatomie County, one person died after driving around flood barriers and being swept off the road near State Highways 102 and 59. Lincoln County saw another fatality when a vehicle was swept away by floodwaters near a creek northwest of Prague. In Cleveland County, homes in Lexington were underwater, prompting rescue efforts by local firefighters using boats. Logan County experienced significant flooding as well, with officials urging residents to report any damage. Additional rain could worsen flooding in the metro area.

Storms bring record-setting rain, flooding across parts of Oklahoma

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News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

‘A Real Good Test For the First Amendment’ Comes to the Supreme Court

Published

19 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Staff Editor

oklahomawatch.org – Em Luetkemeyer – 2025-04-30 06:00:00

by Em Luetkemeyer, Oklahoma Watch
April 30, 2025

The Supreme Court will hear a case on Wednesday that could pave the way for a much closer relationship between church and state. Some members of Congress from Oklahoma, where the case originated, are eager to hear updates on the case from across the street.

Rep. Kevin Hern said he’d “certainly be getting updates every chance I possibly can.”

“This is going to be a real good test for the First Amendment, and we will see where it goes,” Hern said. “There are a lot of people watching this in Oklahoma on both sides. I would argue there are people watching this across the country — and not just Catholics, but other religions as well.

“I think we’re all waiting,” he said.

Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond will determine whether St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School can contract with the state of Oklahoma and receive public funds. The case could expand the use of public funds on religious schools when it is decided later this term.

It’s a case that’s split Republicans into several camps, and it’s getting close attention from lawmakers outside of Oklahoma and religious-rights groups.

“The court is a very hard body to predict,” Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, who filed an amicus brief in March in support of the school, said. “I really do not have a good sense of how they’ll come out of this. Obviously, they granted it, which is, I think, fantastic.”

While lawmakers go about their business on Capitol Hill this Wednesday morning, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on behalf of the school from lawyers, including some affiliated with the Alliance Defending Freedom and from Notre Dame Law School’s Religious Liberty Clinic. Gregory Garre, a former solicitor general, will argue on behalf of Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who has said the school could “force taxpayers to fund all manner of religious indoctrination.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who wrote an amicus brief in support of the school, plans to attend the arguments, his spokesperson told NOTUS. Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction and an outspoken supporter of religion’s role in public schools, will likely not be at the hearing due to “last minute changes,” a spokesperson said.

Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford, who was also among the conservative lawmakers who filed the amicus brief supporting the school, told NOTUS he won’t be able to attend the hearing Wednesday, but he’d be watching for updates on the case.

“This court, for the last really 15 years, has taken on a lot of issues dealing with religious liberty. It’s not just been even since the new members were added during the Trump administration or the Biden administration,” Lankford said. “This is a very niche-type question, but a pretty significant question of cooperation between a state entity and a religious entity. What can that relationship be?”

Not all members of the Oklahoma delegation have weighed in. Rep. Stephanie Bice’s office did not respond to NOTUS’ request for comment. Reps. Tom Cole and Frank Lucas, as well as Sen. Markwayne Mullin, said they had not been following the case.

“I haven’t been paying attention to it at all,” Mullin said. “Probably should’ve been, but I’m not.”

Rep. Josh Brecheen said that the understanding of the First Amendment has changed over time from “what our founders” intended and has grown beyond this intent due to “liberal interpretation.” This case, he said, could help bring back that “original intent.”

“We’ve, for decades, taken what the founding era believed about God’s place in the public square and we turned it on its head. They never meant for God to be kicked out of the public square,” Brecheen said of the case.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post ‘A Real Good Test For the First Amendment’ Comes to the Supreme Court appeared first on oklahomawatch.org

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content presents a primarily factual and measured overview of a Supreme Court case concerning public funding for religious schools, highlighting perspectives from Republican lawmakers and conservative-leaning groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom. It emphasizes constitutional and religious liberty arguments commonly associated with conservative and right-leaning viewpoints. However, it maintains a neutral tone by including different opinions and background information without explicit editorializing, situating it in a center-right position rather than far-right or partisan advocacy.

News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

Rain totals continue to climb as storms move across Oklahoma

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2025

Staff Editor

www.youtube.com – KOCO 5 News – 2025-04-29 21:39:17

SUMMARY: Rain totals are rising as storms move across Oklahoma, with no current tornado warnings. Thunderstorms and heavy rain are impacting areas including Edmond, Oklahoma City, Yukon, Mustang, and Piedmont. Edmond has received two inches of rain in a few hours, with significant amounts also reported south of Lawton (3.5-4 inches). A flash flood warning has been issued, indicating a wet night ahead. Severe thunderstorm warnings include 70 mph winds affecting Slaughterville, Lexington, Wayne, Paola, and Pauls Valley. Western Oklahoma expects more storm development this evening, with ongoing rain and flood risks particularly in Oklahoma, Cleveland, and McClain counties.