DADT Bill Apparently Shelved in Oklahoma House

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A bill to reinstate the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the Oklahoma National Guard has been effectively shelved, an advocacy group said Monday.

The proposal by state Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, would have backdated legal standards to be in the Guard to a time when gays and lesbians could not openly serve in the U.S. military.

The policy ended nationally Sept. 20 after President Barack Obama, the secretary of defense and the joint chiefs of staff certified that repeal would not harm military readiness.

On Monday, House Speaker Kris Steele announced that he had taken the bill out of the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee and had reassigned it to the Rules Committee.

Because Rules Committee Chairman Gary Banz, R-Midwest City, is not expected to give the bill a committee hearing, the reassignment essentially means that it is dead.

"We applaud the commitment to fairness and justice shown by Speaker Kris Steele and a bipartisan group of other lawmakers today," said Laura Belmonte, chairwoman of The Equality Network.

"Rep. Reynolds' bill directly violated federal policies and risked the loss of $294 million in annual federal funding to the Oklahoma National Guard. We are relieved that the brave men and women of the Oklahoma National Guard will not have their readiness compromised by the damage this legislation would have created."

Reynolds did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.

John Estus, a spokesman for Steele, said senior state military officials have expressed concerns to multiple House members that the proposal would jeopardize federal funding for the Oklahoma National Guard.

"Speaker Steele believes those concerns are valid," Estus said. "No one wants to do anything to jeopardize the resources currently afforded to the outstanding men and women in the 45th."