OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Oklahoma State Legislature voted 97–1 last June to pass a resolution establishing an official state prayer, a measure that enjoyed near-unanimous bipartisan support and that has since produced no prayer whatsoever, as the appointed drafting committee has been unable to agree on a single word of the text for nine consecutive months.

The committee, composed of six legislators, two clergy advisors, and a constitutional law professor, has met twenty-three times. They have not advanced past the opening line.

“We spent four sessions on whether it should begin with ‘Dear God,’ ‘Heavenly Father,’ ‘Lord,’ or ‘To Whom It May Concern,’” said committee chair Rep. Brenda Faulk (R-Tulsa). “The constitutional law professor suggested ‘To Whom It May Concern.’ He was outvoted but filed a dissent.”

“Everyone agrees we should have a prayer. Nobody agrees on what to pray for. We tried ‘wisdom’ and someone said it was too vague. We tried ‘rain’ and the ag committee said it was too specific. We are in a deadlock with the Almighty.”

Faulk offered the above summary, adding that a recent session was consumed entirely by a debate over whether the prayer should mention Oklahoma by name or remain “geographically neutral to avoid alienating other states.”

The lone dissenting vote on the original resolution, Rep. Jim Kovacs (D-Norman), told reporters he voted no “not because I oppose prayer, but because I knew exactly what would happen.” He added: “I have been vindicated.”

Rev. Alice Trammell, one of the clergy advisors, said she has offered to simply write the prayer herself but was told the process “must be bipartisan, interfaith, and compliant with fourteen different style guides.”

At press time, the committee had scheduled a retreat to “pray about the prayer,” which three members said they could not attend due to scheduling conflicts.