Representative Toni Hasenbeck

R

District 65

Hi, I'm Toni Hasenbeck and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 65th District.


representative

Leadership

Majority Deputy Leader

60th Legislature

News & Announcements

Jan 22, 2026
Recent Posts

STATEMENT: Lawton-Area Lawmakers Mourn Passing of Police Chief James T. Smith

Lawton-area legislators are mourning the loss of Lawton Police Chief James T. Smith, who passed away on Jan. 22, 2026, at the age of 66.  Reps. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, and Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, along with Sens. Dusty Deevers, R-Elgin, and Spencer Kern, R-Duncan, remembered the longtime law enforcement officer in a joint statement.  "Chief Smith embodied what it means to be a public servant. Throughout his decades with the Lawton Police Department, he led with integrity and compassion, and he maintained an unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of Lawton families. Our community is stronger and safer because of Chief Smith’s vision and leadership. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, the officers of the Lawton Police Department and all those who had the privilege of working alongside him."  Smith dedicated more than 35 years to law enforcement and was named Chief of Police for the Lawton Police Department in 2012. His work with the department was recognized statewide, including being named Large Agency Chief of the Year by the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police in 2025 and receiving the William “Bill” Tilghman Public Service Award from the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in 2024.       In addition to his law enforcement career, Smith served 30 years in the military, retiring as a Colonel after service in the Kentucky Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserves.  The lawmakers ask the community to join them in honoring Smith’s legacy of service and to keep his family and colleagues in their thoughts during this difficult time.

Oct 21, 2025

Fugate, Timmons, Hasenbeck conduct study on how providing civil judgement expungement can help those trapped in abuse

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, and Rep. Aletia Timmons, D-Oklahoma City, conducted an interim study exploring how providing a civil judgement expungement can help Oklahomans trapped in abuse, specifically financial abuse. Currently, Oklahoma has little to no recourse for those ensnared in financial abuse. The study showed that Oklahoma does not have a civil judgement expungement system, and that the closest thing to it would be to seal the record. However, sealing a record takes time and you must be able to provide proof that sealing the public record is in the interest of justice. “For many survivors of abuse, civil judgments are not the result of poor choices but of manipulation, coercion or control," Hasenbeck said. "Abusers often use financial tools, like credit cards and loans, to trap their victims in cycles of debt and dependence. When those survivors finally find the courage to leave, they’re left carrying the financial scars of someone else’s actions, further burdening them as they attempt to heal. Civil judgment expungement gives them a chance to break free from that burden and truly start over.” Financial abuse is a form of coercive control defined as forcing a partner to miss, leave, or be late to work; harassing them at their workplace; controlling how money is spent; withholding money or basic living resources; imposing a strict allowance; stealing money, credit, property, or identity from a partner; and coercing them into filing fraudulent legal documents. Oftentimes, the aftermath of financial abuse makes it difficult for a survivor to get a job and housing. “When victims of domestic violence have to move out of their housing to escape, civil expungement of evictions advances protections to some of Oklahoma’s most vulnerable,” said Timmons. Financial abuse is the most common form of abuse, with up to 99% of all pattern violence survivors reporting financial abuse.  “Anyone who works closely with domestic violence survivors knows escaping abuse is only the beginning,” said Fugate. “Survivors are left with lasting emotional scars and financial devastation. Coerced debt, ruined credit, and civil judgments trap survivors in a fiscal prison long after they’ve escaped the physical one. Civil judgment relief in the form of a Survivors Act 2.0 will give survivors essential relief and help them rebuild their lives.” The entire study can be viewed on the  Oklahoma House of Representatives Website. -END-

Aug 19, 2025
Recent Posts

Crosswhite Hader, Hasenbeck Celebrate Signing of Bill Ending Funding for DEI in Higher Ed

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont, today participated in a ceremonial bill signing for Senate Bill 796 , which eliminates public funding for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs across Oklahoma’s higher education institutions. Crosswhite Hader is the House author of the legislation. The bill was signed into law in May but was ceremonially signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt today. Also attending the ceremony was U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and the bill's Senate author, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond. Ceremonial bill signings allow lawmakers and others who are influential in legislation to attend. "Taken on their own, the words diversity, equity and inclusion sound wonderful, but as a philosophy these programs are embedded with an artificial preference system that detracts from the core mission of our higher education institutions," Crosswhite Hader said. "Our students should be focused on academics and workforce training and not delayed by an additional requirement for graduation. "We are not saying these concepts can't be taught, just that the use of taxpayer dollars is inappropriate. I'm grateful to Senator Pugh for his work on this issue and to the governor for signing it into law. I'm also glad that Secretary McMahon was able to join us today for this ceremony." Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, the chair of the House Postsecondary Education Committee, added, "Oklahoma's universities should be centers of academic excellence that prepare students for careers and civic life, not places where taxpayer dollars fund ideological programs. Higher education must remain focused on merit, scholarship and workforce development. Senate Bill 796 protects academic freedom while keeping our institutions aligned with their core mission." SB796 codifies into law the governor’s prior executive order, prohibiting institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education from using state funds, property or resources to support DEI positions, programs, hiring practices or activities. It also bars colleges and universities from mandating participation in training or education that grants preference based on race, color, sex, ethnicity or national origin. Additionally, SB796 prohibits requirements for loyalty oaths, ideological statements, DEI declarations in hiring or the disclosure of personal pronouns.