News

A group of legislators is opposing an event at Tinker Air Force Base called "National Coming Out Day" and the affirmation that homosexuals are "born this way." The following statement is issued by Reps. Jim Olsen, R-Roland; David Hardin, R-Stilwell; Clay Staires, R-Skiatook; Kevin West, R-Moore; Rick West, R-Heavener; and Danny Williams, R-Seminole. "As one of the nation's most important and strategic military bases, Tinker should remain focused on our national defense and not expend taxpayer dollars to promote a lifestyle contrary to the values of the majority of Oklahomans. It is offensive to use the statement 'born this way' as there is no evidence to support this. We view this as completely unnecessary for this campaign. In fact, we find the entire campaign unnecessary. Is Tinker next prepared to host a day to celebrate people who believe in sex only after marriage between a man and a woman? We would think not."

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, on Thursday held an interim study on felony murder before the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, which he chairs. "A number of years ago, my position was that people on Oklahoma's death row had hundreds of chances and numerous appeals so it could not be possible for someone to be there that was innocent," Humphrey explained. Humphrey said his opinion changed after meeting with attorney Donald R. Knight of the Don Knight Law Office. Knight, who is based in Colorado, now works exclusively on death penalty cases at the trial level. "After looking into several of these cases and seeing the lack of evidence, I decided there is something really, really wrong with our system," Humphrey said. "What has amazed me is the quality of people who are standing up against this system who are being ignored despite the massive problems we have. That's what this study is about – how do we change our system, how do we get these issues resolved by changes in legislation, changes in court, those kinds of things." Knight, who has worked on high-profile cases such as for Oklahoma death-row inmate Richard Glossip, spoke about systemic problems in Oklahoma's and other states' criminal justice systems. In addition to Knight, Humphrey invited numerous other speakers to share during the more than five-our meeting. Andrew Miller with the Innocence Project, spoke about The Brady Rule, established in the 1963 Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, which requires that prosecutors disclose all exculpatory evidence to the defense in a criminal case. This has been an issue in numerous Oklahoma death penalty cases. Maria Kolar, associate professor of law at Oklahoma City University's School of Law, delivered a slide show on felony murder and criminal law in Oklahoma and answered questions from Humphrey and others. Jera Burton, a juror in the Tremane Wood's death penalty case, gave tearful testimony that the case and her vote to impose the death penalty haunts her to this day. She said she hopes the state does not execute Wood. Additional presenters included Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project, and Emma Rolls, first assistant federal public defender for the Western District of Oklahoma and the chief of the Capital Habeas Unit, which represents most death penalty offenders in the state who have exhausted all other appeals. Rolls said that each case she detailed in the study was from Oklahoma County and each featured a young black man in his 20s. She spoke about what she said was hidden evidence in the Julius Jones case. She also spoke about Emmanuel Littlejohn who was executed just over a week ago despite a recommendation of clemency from the state Pardon and Parole Board. Rolls said it is possible for a jury to determine guilt and recommend a death sentence even if they cannot establish that the person caused the death of another human being. "What we're talking about here today is really tough stuff, and that's why it's hard to get change in this area," Humphrey said. "While we have great compassion for the victims and their families, we also have to realize that we have cases where a person on death row may in fact be innocent of committing murder, and they too have family members who are affected by these cases." Humphrey said he will work on legislation that would make sure individuals who have minor involvement in a felony murder case are no longer eligible for the death penalty. That doesn't mean, however, that he's in favor of letting people who are involved in heinous crimes walk free. "Some might still wind up with life sentences without the possibility for parole," he said. "We're not talking about excusing crime, but that we fit the punishment to the crime. We cannot keep executing whomever we want, especially when we see a manipulation of evidence and outright lying. We must bring accountability back to this system and to those who work within it."

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Rick West, R-Heavener, held an interim study this week examining how Oklahoma colleges and universities can maintain a competitive edge against institutions from outside the state. The study was held before the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee. West said the idea came after a constituent called whose daughter wanted to attend Carl Albert State College in Poteau, in West's House district. "A college across the state line offered them too good of a deal to turn down," West said. "It had nothing to do with academics. It had everything to do with what parents could get moneywise for their kids." West said he called Carl Albert's president to talk about this, and that conversation led to the study. "Oklahoma is different. It has Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas and Missouri as neighbors," West said. "We have colleges from the Panhandle to Southeast Oklahoma to the Northeast and the South that are dealing with different states trying to recruit our kids. These out-of-state colleges can outcompete us unless we change our current regulations." West invited various college presidents to discuss their efforts in trying to keep Oklahoma youth going to Oklahoma higher education institutions. Allison Garrett, chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, detailed how many Oklahoma students are leaving the state and where they are going. She showed that of the 45,130 students graduating in 2022 from Oklahoma high schools: 26,270, or 58.2%, were not enrolled in college during the Fall 2022 semester; 15,150, or 33.6%, attended a public higher education institution in Oklahoma; 1,099 or 2.4% attended a private higher education institution in Oklahoma; and 2,611 or 5.8% attended an out-of-state higher education institution. Of those leaving Oklahoma: 26% go to Kansas 14.6% go to Arkansas 11.2% go to Texas 8.7% go to Missouri 3.3% go to Colorado Garrett gave examples of tuition discounting for Oklahoma students in these adjoining states. These include the University of Arkansas, which pays up to 90% of the difference between resident and non-resident tuition based on GPA. Wichita State University provides in-state tuition to students in 19 Oklahoma counties and discounted rates for students from all additional Oklahoma counties. Others states have discounted rates as well. Study participants heard from college presidents from Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Carl Albert on other states' initiatives to recruit Oklahoma students and how the state must work to maintain a competitive edge. The study wrapped with a discussion of legislative and policy strategies that Oklahoma might pursue. Suggestions included allowing greater flexibility to waive tuition for both in-state and out-of-state students, increasing operational funding to limit tuition and fee increases, increasing marketing funding, and expanding the Oklahoma Opportunity Scholarship tax credit to Oklahoma higher education institutions. West said the study was very educational. "What has impressed me is the enthusiasm these college presidents have," he said. "It's evident they love their institutions and the students they serve. I see that they are doing everything they can to increase enrollment and help Oklahoma students stay here and thrive."

OKLAHOMA CITY – In support of bolstering educational excellence and understanding the formation of the United States, the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus (OKFC), led by Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, and Sen. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, has thrown its support behind the Bible initiative in public schools proposed by Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters.  The Freedom Caucus applauded Walters' initiative to ensure the availability of a Bible in public school classroom across the state. Walters announced last week he would include $3 million in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget request to fund the initiative.  The Freedom Caucus stands on foundational conservative principals of limited government, personal accountability, constitutional authority, and preservation of those freedom given by God and not government. The legislators said no source or document was more quoted, provided more inspiration or guidance to our Founding Fathers in the formation of this Republican than the Holy Bible.  They said the Holy Bible is the singular most profound and influential work of literature in the English language. OKFC said its inclusion in public schools will elevate the quality of academic achievement by introducing students to exceptional prose, poetry and narratives that have shaped and inspired civilizations for millennia and played pivotal role in the formation of our Republic.  "The profound influence of the Bible on the American Founding Fathers and the formation of our nation is undeniable," said Jett, who chairs the caucus. "Understanding its impact enhances our comprehension of how the Bible shaped the principles of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution. Our American Constitutional Republic and the liberties it upholds stem from our Founding Fathers' deep respect for and implementation of biblical principles. A fundamental grasp of the Bible's role is essential for a complete understanding of American history."  Speaking to the financial impact, Olsen, who serves as House vice chair, said, "In light of a substantial $4.1 billion public education budget request, the allocation of $3 million represents a modest and reasonable investment in our students' understanding of American history. This amount constitutes less than one-tenth of one percent of the state's education budget, ensuring that it will have no real impact on vital budget items like school safety or teacher pay."  Detractors have raised objections on various grounds, questioning the necessity of physical copies, asserting the availability of superior versions to the New King James Version (KJV) and stating that this violates the "separation of church and state."  Deevers, a pastor who serves as Senate vice chair of the caucus, responded, “The New KJV is an excellent version suitable for the classroom. The New KJV is clear and is widely accepted as an easily readable translation of the KJV that was available to early Americans since its publication in 1611."  On "separation of church and state," Deevers stated, "The phrase 'separation of church and state’ is not found in the U.S. Constitution. Our Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion."  Deevers said those who object to Bibles in the classroom might find themselves more ideologically aligned with Karl Marx than Thomas Jefferson and pointed to the 1918 Constitution of the communist Soviet Union, which states “the church is separated from the state" and "the school is separated from the church."  The Freedom Caucus is committed to preserving freedoms granted by our Creator and recognized in the U.S. Constitution.  "We firmly believe that the Bible Initiative will significantly enhance the educational experience of Oklahoma students and further support our wonderful teachers," the legislators said in a joint statement. "By exposing students to the wisdom, values and historical significance of the Bible, we will empower them to become informed, compassionate and responsible citizens." 

On Tuesday, Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby, held an interim study to examine aligning school board elections with on-cycle elections. IS24-018 was held before the Elections and Ethics House Committee. Currently, Oklahoma statute mandates school board elections be held on off-cycle rotations and not in November. Banning said Oklahoma is one of only 12 states with such a mandate. Dr. Bradley Ward, Oklahoma deputy director for Americans for Prosperity, discussed the potential benefits of aligning school board elections with on-cycle elections. Ward's analysis, based on data from the Oklahoma State Election Board, shows that an average of 6% of registered voters participated in Oklahoma's local school board elections in April 2024. Using data from the Oklahoma Cost Accounting System, Ward's calculations indicate that Oklahoma school districts spent about $16.8 million on election services in 2023. Ward projected that shifting elections to on-cycle elections could save and repurpose about $17 million for school needs. During his presentation, Ward shared case studies from Texas and Michigan, highlighting how these states increased voter turnout. In 2006, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1, shifting 174 school districts to on-cycle elections. Ward said that, as a result, voter turnout increased significantly. "After the Michigan Legislature passed House Bill 4005 in 2011, the following year saw a remarkable surge in voter turnout in their 2012 school board elections," Ward said. "With some districts experiencing a voter increase of over 1600%." During the study, Ward said that based on the case studies from red states such as Texas and historically blue states such as Michigan, this policy is a bipartisan way to effectively save school districts money, align elections, and increase voter turnout and accountability. "Again, this legislation is simple," Banning said. "It increases voter turnout, which leads to accurate community representation in our education system while saving tens of millions for our amazing educators."

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, on Thursday will hold an interim study on felony murder before the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, which he chairs. Speakers include Donald R. Knight of the Don Knight Law Office; Andrew Miller with the Innocence Project; Maria Kolar, associate professor of law at Oklahoma City University's School of Law; Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project; Jera Burton, a juror in the Tremane Woods' case; and Emma Rolls, first assistant federal public defender for the Western District of Oklahoma and the chief of the Capital Habeas Unit.  Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Date: Oct. 3, 2024 Place: Room 450, State Capitol, 2300 N Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City

Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Tulsa, recently held an interim study to explore the exposure of hazardous materials at the MidAmerica Industrial Park and the current HAZMAT response capabilities in the eastern part of the state. IS24-105 was held before the House Business and Commerce Committee. The MidAmerica Industrial Park is located on 9,000 acres in northeast Oklahoma. It is the largest industrial park in the state and the fifth largest in the United States, providing services to over 80 companies and about 4,000 employees. During the study, Jason Stutzman, the executive director of MidAmerica Industrial Park, said that the park stores about 1.76 billion pounds of extremely hazardous materials as well as tens of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel. Over half of the employers in the park utilize and store hazardous materials for their daily manufacturing processes. Tedford said industries within the park use dangerous chemicals such as ammonia nitrate and anhydrous ammonia, as well as materials related to the assembly of battery modules.  "Quick response in containing hazardous materials is crucial to save lives within the park and prevent the spread of chemicals to surrounding communities, home to over 11,000 businesses and 27,000 residents," Tedford said. "A HAZMAT incident not only threatens lives but can also lead to property damage, business disruptions, costly evacuations, and damage the park's reputation as a safe workplace." Currently, the Pryor Fire Department does not have HAZMAT capabilities, and the closest HAZMAT units are in Claremore and Tahlequah. The response time to the MidAmerica Industrial Park is around 90 minutes. Adding a HAZMAT unit in Pryor would cost about $5.4 million upfront, plus $1.5 million annually for the next nine years, covering equipment, staffing, and training. MidAmerica can provide land and facilities, and both MidAmerica and the city of Pryor can help with some operational costs. The total 10-year funding request from the state is $18 million. Tedford said this unit would benefit not just the park but also the 27,000 residents in the area by enhancing the fire department's capabilities, which could improve their ISO fire ratings, potentially lowering insurance rates. "I intend to file legislation next session to request funding for a HAZMAT unit in Pryor," Tedford said. "MidAmerica contains the state's critical infrastructure and has significant vulnerabilities that must be addressed. Municipal fire departments are funded by sales tax; however, MidAmerica does not generate sales tax, creating a reasonable funding gap for the state to fill."  

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, has taken notice of what he believes is the first of many actions by Oklahoma courts to suppress evidence obtained from license plate scanners. “The decision will place many cases against perpetrators of criminal acts in jeopardy,” Gann explained. According to Gann, the issue arises from local government entities entering into contracts with a nationwide big-tech firm, Flock, to install 24/7 vehicle scanning technology—despite such actions being prohibited by Oklahoma law. “When the government uses these devices to scan every passing vehicle, it is possible they are violating Oklahoma law. Earlier this year, Gann warned government entities involved in this practice that their actions are not authorized by law. His concerns were dismissed by politicians, including Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. In September, a McClain County court, in State of Oklahoma v. Ifabiyi , suppressed the use of license plate scanner evidence, citing Oklahoma's legal prohibition of the technology. “When governments rely on unauthorized technology to surveil their citizens, policing methods become lazy,” Gann said. “They replace tried-and-true, constitutionally compliant, community policing tactics with unproven technologies that pose serious privacy concerns and offend the American public. This lazy policing is now putting many potential convictions at risk, as the motion to suppress will become the foremost tool of the competent defense attorney.” Gann does not believe the Legislature has any interest in approving the use of this technology in the near future. “The CEO of Flock has openly stated his intent to place a scanner on every street corner. Many legislators understand that Oklahomans do not want this Orwellian approach. They recognize it as a breach of the Fourth Amendment and foresee future courts continuing to rule it unconstitutional, placing many criminal convictions into question.” In the 2024 legislative session, a proposal to authorize the scanners, House Bill 3570, failed to receive a House floor vote, and a comparable measure, Senate Bill 1620, was defeated by a wide margin. Gann expects public opposition to grow as awareness of the specifics of the technology increases. “This technology has been presented to the public as a tool for local police to monitor their communities, but it’s becoming more apparent that these scanners are merely nodes in a much broader network shared among various government agencies. This allows distant governments to track the movements of Oklahomans, with no recourse against abuses by politicized agencies who may have access, such as the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,” Gann warned. Gann is also concerned about the lack of transparency from some departments regarding the agencies with whom they share data. He pointed to the Edmond Police Department’s reported refusal to disclose this information to NonDoc, a journalistic service that investigated the matter earlier this year. “Government entities, such as Edmond, have a duty to be transparent with the people about what is happening. Their lack of transparency will not only prove futile in the long run, but it will erode the trust that people have in these government entities,” Gann concluded. Rep. Gann will lead a legislative study on this issue beginning at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 8 in room 5S2 at the State Capitol, 2300 N Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City. The public is invited to attend. The meeting also will be streamed online and can be watched through the House website, OKHouse.gov under the News & Media Tab. Click on Live Proceedings, and search Calendar-Day/Month for Oct. 8 then select the State Powers Committee. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reps. Tom Gann, R-Inola, Kevin West, R-Moore, and Rick West, R-Heavener, today issued statements regarding Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett's response brief to the writ of prohibition they filed against Hiett. Their writ asked the courts to intervene to protect the public interest. Hiett has been accused of sexual molestation and public drunkenness. The three argue that he should be disqualified from cases at the OCC involving the victims or witnesses to his alleged crimes saying he cannot be impartial or unbiased. “Todd Hiett’s response brief is most notable for what it doesn’t say. He doesn’t deny any of the criminal conduct allegations that have been publicly made against him," the lawmakers said. "He doesn’t deny that the utilities and other parties with direct knowledge of that conduct have leverage over him and his decisions in their cases at the OCC. He also doesn’t claim that he is somehow exempt from state ethics rules and the Code of Judicial Conduct. Instead, he argues that the petitioners haven’t proved that he’s guilty or biased. “But the law says we don’t have to prove it. The State Ethics Rule 4.7 makes it clear that an official should disqualify himself or herself if 'the circumstances would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question his or her impartiality in the matter.' The Code of Judicial Conduct contains a similar provision. "That is clearly the case here. Yet, since Hiett refuses to disqualify himself, we have asked the court to step in and disqualify him to protect ratepayers. Even what Hiett’s response brief does argue is damning – especially where it says ‘the rule of necessity requires that Commissioner Hiett not be disqualified’ (Response, page 10). As mentioned in the Petitioners’ original brief (footnote 42), the ‘Rule of Necessity’ is a common law principle that says in effect that a biased judge is better than no judge at all, and allows a biased judge to participate in a case if the case cannot be heard without him.  “But before the ‘Rule of Necessity’ can apply, the judge either has to admit to being biased or be found to be biased. "To argue ‘the rule of necessity requires that Commissioner Hiett’ participate in these cases means that Hiett is admitting he is conflicted in these cases! If he’s conflicted, there must be a reason. It comes surprisingly close to an admission of guilt to the criminal conduct allegations themselves.”