Welcome to the Oklahoma House of Representatives

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, on Tuesday unanimously passed three bills in that House that would enhance punishments for those convicted of domestic or sexual abuse crimes as well as those who tamper with outdoor warning systems. The measures now move to the Senate. House Bill 1322 would create a Domestic Violence Offenders Registry to be available online for public view. Anyone convicted in Oklahoma of a domestic violence offense after Jan. 1, 2028, would be registered through district court clerks on the registry created and maintained by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The registry would include the offender's name, the county or counties of conviction, their most recent booking photo and additional information. "Oklahoma persistently ranks as one of the worst states for domestic abuse," Ford said. "We must continue to work toward prevention and better support for victims of these crimes. Requiring domestic abusers to register will improve public awareness and give victims and law enforcement additional tools to keep themselves and the public safe."  Ford said the idea for the law came from Tennessee, which became the first state in the nation to launch a domestic violence offenders registry after the murder of Deputy Sheriff Savanna Puckett. It's reported she was killed by a former partner who had a documented history of domestic violence. If enacted in Oklahoma, the offender would be required to pay a $150 registration fee. They can be removed from the registry five years after completion of their last sentence. The registry shall not include the names of any victim. House Bill 4104 would add three crimes to the list of those that require registry as a sex offender: second and subsequent offense of watching, gazing or looking upon a person in a clandestine manner; using photographic, electronic or video equipment in clandestine manner; and second or subsequent offense of using such means to capture images of a private area without consent.   Ford said the bill deals with three subsections of Oklahoma's Peeping Tom statute. One addresses watching people changing clothes through a window, which is currently a misdemeanor. Another deals with attempting to take photos of peoples' private areas while they are in the public – also a misdemeanor. A third addresses an individual who hides a camera in a private area such as a locker or dressing room or a space where people would assume privacy. This bill would turn second or subsequent misdemeanor offenses under this area of statute into felonies and require any felony offender to register as a sex offender.  House Bill 4107 would make it unlawful to tamper with, activate, attempt to activate or cause to be activated an outdoor warning siren without proper authorization. Punishment would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in the county jail or both. If an unauthorized activation caused a false emergency response or public panic, the offense would become a felony punishable by up to $5,000, up to one year in the county jail or both fine and imprisonment.  Ford said such tampering is happening now, and it causes havoc, especially during this time of year when all Oklahomans are on heightened alert for severe weather. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Freshman lawmaker Kevin Norwood, R-Owasso, has passed his first piece of legislation off the House floor, a measure that updates the governance structure of the Oklahoma 211 Collaborative. House Bill 4095 passed the House floor with an 84-4 vote and would provide that the Oklahoma 211 Collaborative oversees call centers that connect Oklahomans with services such as food, housing, clothing, transportation and medical assistance. The measure also would reduce the collaborative’s governing board from 15 members to nine members and establish staggered initial terms to help maintain continuity. "I am proud to champion this bill and see it pass the House," Norwood said. "I appreciate my colleagues for their support and for recognizing the importance of 211 services. It is my goal to keep connecting Oklahomans with critical resources by ensuring that 211 can continue to serve our community." The measure now moves to the Senate for further consideration, where Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, is the Senate author.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. John George, R-Newalla, this week unanimously passed a bill in the House that would add domestic violence by strangulation to the list of crimes requiring a person to serve 85% of a prison sentence before being eligible for consideration for parole. If enacted, House Bill 3264 would prohibit those convicted from being eligible to receive earned credits toward reducing the length of their sentence to less than 85%. "Strangling an intimate partner is among the most horrific acts of violence and can all too often be deadly," George said. "Yet people convicted of this crime, in many cases, currently only have to serve about a third of any sentence imposed. This legislation would strengthen Oklahoma laws so that anyone committing this type of aggravated assault would be subject to greater punishment." The bill matches a recommendation of the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.  Research shows that strangulation is one of the most common forms of domestic assault and battery and also one of the most fatal. Victims can lose consciousness in less than 10 seconds and can die within minutes. Strangulation victims are more likely to die than victims of other types of domestic assault and battery. Victims who have been strangled are 750 percent more likely to be killed by the same person in the future. Even if a person survives being strangled, there are short- and long-term physical effects, including memory loss, headaches, seizures, strokes, blood clots, even delayed death. In addition, George said Oklahoma has consistently ranked among the top 10 states of women murdered by men in single-victim, single-offender homicides. Despite the seriousness of the crime, domestic violence by strangulation is not yet considered a violent crime that requires an offender to serve at least 85% of their sentence before being considered for release. "We're talking about taking someone's very breath away – the essence of their life," George said. "All I'm asking is for the punishment to fit the crime." HB3264 passed the House on a vote of 89-0. It has been engrossed to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond.