Welcome to the Oklahoma House of Representatives

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, today commended the governor for signing into a law a bill that adds the operational area of an airport to the list of places considered as critical infrastructure. Under the provisions of House Bill 4108 , those convicted of trespass or causing willful damage will be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment in a county jail for a term of six months or both. An organization found to be a conspirator will face a $10,000 fine. "Airports see thousands of travelers every day, whether flying for personal reasons or to conduct important business," Ford said. "It's vital that we keep these people safe and commerce unimpeded whether from the threat of terrorists, cyber attackers or even just thoughtless pranksters. This legislation will help, and I'm glad to see it signed into law." Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, is the Senate author of the bill. “House Bill 4108 adds another layer of protection to keep every part of our airports safe and secure,” Rader said. “This measure will deter trespassing and vandalism that could put travelers or airport operations at risk.” The new language of the law adds the operational area of an airport, including runways, taxiways, ramps, apron areas, aircraft parking and storage areas, fuel storage areas, maintenances areas and any other area of an airport used or intended to be used for landing, takeoff or surface maneuvering of aircraft.    Other critical infrastructure includes petroleum refineries, electrical power generating facilities, water structures, natural gas stations, wireless telecommunication infrastructure and more.  HB4108 takes effect Nov. 1. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, today commented on the governor signing into law House Bill 3700 . The measure requires college students to be graded solely on academic performance, including attendance, and not on their opinions, beliefs, or conduct unrelated to academic situations. "College students should never feel they have to self-censor for fear of receiving a negative grade simply because their beliefs run contrary to those of their professor's," Caldwell said. "Nor should they think they'll get a better grade by agreeing with the opinions or beliefs of those grading their assignments. The purpose of higher education is to teach students to think for themselves and be able to express their ideas within the academic context."  Caldwell said the legislation came from a recommendation by the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee, established under the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The committee came through House Bill 3543 , enacted in 2022, also authored by Caldwell. "Currently, only one of the state's 25 colleges and universities has a policy that clearly states what is now contained in this law," Caldwell said. "It should be a foundational standard that every student should expect to be graded only on their academic performance. With this legislation, when students decide to enroll in an Oklahoma college or university, they can now rest assured their First Amendment rights will be honored." Also signed into law is House Bill 3701 , which would require the State Regents of Higher Education to review college degree programs on a five-year cycle. Any program determined to be "low producing," as defined in the measure, would trigger an annual review by the Regents, who must then consider suspending or deleting the program. The program could continue if it meets certain exceptions, but it would be placed on probationary status for three years and must submit a plan for improvement. Caldwell said this bill simply codifies into statute the Regents’ existing procedures for consolidating low-producing programs. The State Regents earlier voted to eliminate 41 low-producing degree programs and suspend 21 others.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, today issued the following statement regarding an Open Records lawsuit involving the Richard Glossip case. Humphrey and former Rep. Kevin McDugle filed the lawsuit against Tulsa County District Attorney Steven Kunzweiler on May 12 in Tulsa County District Court. "This Open Records Act lawsuit seeks production of records we believe have been improperly withheld by Tulsa County District Attorney Steven Kunzweiler. Our requests relate to communications and records involving the Richard Glossip case, the District Attorneys Council, and the role of current and former public officials using their public offices to oppose the Attorney General’s confession of past prosecutorial misconduct before the United States Supreme Court. "District Attorney Kunzweiler recently stated that 'Prosecutors are ministers of justice. We’re gatekeepers. If we misused the law for personal or political gain, we undermine the system.' These principles are precisely why public transparency is so important when elected prosecutors take positions in matters of extraordinary public consequence, especially in a death penalty case. "Records show that District Attorney Kunzweiler and multiple district attorneys, mobilized to intervene and advocate for the execution of Richard Glossip even in the face of prosecutorial misconduct. The United States Supreme Court ultimately rejected DA Kunzweiler’s and his fellow DA’s position and vacated Mr. Glossip’s conviction and death sentence, holding he was entitled to a new trial. The state is now prosecuting Mr. Glossip for a third time, and the public has a legitimate interest in understanding the role public officials and public agencies played and continue to play in those decisions. "This lawsuit is about access to public records, transparency by elected officials like District Attorney Kunzweiler, and accountability. Oklahomans are entitled to know how their elected officials use public offices, public resources, and public authority in cases involving the death penalty, prosecutorial misconduct, and the administration of justice. "We will continue to pursue transparency and accountability through the legal process."