Okla Legislature 2nd Worse in Nation

[Ed W]

Guess we must be a bunch of unwashed heathens out here

Oh! You weren't asking for a show of hands? I'll put mine down then. How embarrassing.

[patric]

Oklahoma has too many people in prison, a higher portion of its population than any state. It's frustrating that we continue to incarcerate people who have no place behind bars years after SQ 780 made clear the intent of the people.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/editorials/tulsa-world-editorial-make-state-question-retroactive/article_a0daf924-a0f6-5ba3-aea8-35ea90b41396.html

[Tulsa Zephyr]

Not only is Oklahoma higher in proportion to any other state in locking  people up, it's the highest in the world.  Standing tall.  We should be the safest state in the nation.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Not only is Oklahoma higher in proportion to any other state in locking  people up, it's the highest in the world.  Standing tall.  We should be the safest state in the nation.

Lol...yeah.  Should be.   Still rushing to be #1 in all the worst things and #50 in all the best things!


How the heck do ya educate people who refuse to see or think....?

[swake]

Oklahoma has too many people in prison, a higher portion of its population than any state. It's frustrating that we continue to incarcerate people who have no place behind bars years after SQ 780 made clear the intent of the people.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/editorials/tulsa-world-editorial-make-state-question-retroactive/article_a0daf924-a0f6-5ba3-aea8-35ea90b41396.html

Oklahoma has too many people in prison, a higher portion of its population than any place on earth.

[patric]

Oklahoma has too many people in prison, a higher portion of its population than any place on earth.

That, and Taser deaths.

Meanwhile,



At least two "feel-good" bills criminalizing abortion and another that makes inciting police a hate crime passed legislative committees despite knowing that none would pass constitutional muster, while a corrective measure that would hold those legislators financially responsible for laws they authored if those laws are later challenged in court and found to be unconstitutional wasnt even heard in committee.

Its like Vaudeville theater without the blackface.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/government-and-politics/proposed-laws-noteworthy-bills-still-alive-in-the-legislature-as/collection_2b21c25f-c116-590c-9e6c-25ab43ade0cd.html

[patric]

Look at the lightning speed the legislature moved to preserve voter suppression:


Gov. Stitt signs fast-moving bill to restore notary requirement on Oklahoma absentee ballots

OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill Thursday evening to restore the notary requirement for absentee ballots. The Senate had passed the bill earlier in the day, and the House approved it Wednesday.

The swift action comes just days after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that state law had changed in 2002 to allow for a signed affidavit of the voter under penalty of perjury in lieu of a notary's signature.

The upper chamber voted along party lines 38-9.

The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma and two other plaintiffs had filed a lawsuit, saying the current COVID-19 pandemic could pose a health risk to certain voters.

According to the new law, if an emergency declaration is in effect 45 days before a scheduled election, absentee voters could send in a copy of their driver's license or other identification along with their ballot in lieu of a notary's signature.

Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, said lawmakers should make it easier to vote not harder during the pandemic. He said he saw no evidence that the measure would stop voter fraud.

Sen. Allison Ikley-Freeman, D-Tulsa, said constituents have the right to vote safely without an undue burden. "This measure hurts your voters and my neighbors," she said. "It is not what is best for Oklahoma."

"This legislative attack is based on bogus claims of voter fraud, but it is abundantly clear that the real motivation is to make it harder for Oklahomans to exercise their power at the ballot box," said Ryan Kiesel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma.

"If the governor signs this bill, Oklahoma will, again, stand alone in requiring its voters to comply with such unnecessary hurdles," Kiesel said before Stitt signed it into law. "Voting by mail should be the norm in all elections, but it's especially important during a pandemic.

"Whether it's taking away hard-won voting rights of Oklahomans or related efforts like HJR 1027 that would make it impossible for Oklahomans to place important questions on the ballot by circulating initiative petitions, a majority of politicians in the Legislature are hell bent on increasing their authority by stealing away the power of the people. And while there's no guarantee of victory, you can bet we won't stand idly by while they try."

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/gov-stitt-signs-fast-moving-bill-to-restore-notary-requirement-on-oklahoma-absentee-ballots/article_13753f29-d58c-5bae-aa61-cbeb0ca1b76e.html

[heironymouspasparagus]

#1 in all the worst things.

#50 in all the best things.

[patric]

A Republican state senator from Broken Arrow has prefiled legislation for the upcoming legislative session seeking to prevent localities from imposing COVID-19 mask mandates.

Nathan Dahm also prefiled another bill to prohibit political subdivisions from forcing people to take a COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines are voluntary in Oklahoma.

A third bill would require that COVID-19 contact tracing is done in a voluntary manner. Complying with state or local contact tracers is also voluntary.

https://oklahoman.com/article/5679641/broken-arrow-legislator-nathan-dahm-seeks-to-preempt-local-mask-mandates

[heironymouspasparagus]

.

And his district, in zip code 74012, is consistently one of the largest sources of infection in the state. 

[patric]

Legislation that Oklahoma lawmakers say is intended to curb rioting but others view as attempts to curb dissent continued moving out of committee last week.

House Bill 2215, by Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, would add obstructing a business entrance or exit or a roadway to the statutory definition of inciting a riot and would bar from criminal and civil prosecution motorists who "unintentionally" injure or kill someone while "fleeing from a riot."

Under Oklahoma law, incitement to riot is a felony subject to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Obstructing traffic is generally a misdemeanor.

HB 2095, by Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, would make those charged with unlawful assembly subject to racketeering charges. Under Oklahoma statute, unlawful assembly is essentially conspiracy to incite a riot and is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Senate Bill 119, by Sen. Mark Allen, R-Poteau, would require application 10 days in advance for demonstrations on the state Capitol grounds and could make protest organizers liable for damage to the property.

Allen has sought to limit Capitol demonstrations since teachers and their supporters occupied the building three years ago.

SB 403, by Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Oklahoma City, would make it a misdemeanor to "interfere or disrupt" the business of local governments, including school boards, and would apply to public meetings.

In recent years, the Legislature has also expanded the definition of criminal trespass, chiefly to protect oil and gas assets from protestors.

Some First Amendment advocates see measures such as these as intended to intimidate dissenters by giving law enforcement leeway to arrest and prosecute protestors for relatively minor infractions.

Session notes: A House committee advanced legislation that would require an extra step in the prosecution of any law officer charged with homicide or manslaughter. The author of HB 2505, Rep. Chris Kannady, R-Oklahoma City, said his measure was prompted by what he viewed as the unfair treatment of former Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/political-notebook-oklahoma-lawmakers-target-civil-disobedience/article_d01e5ed6-72d1-11eb-8635-531d08bde630.html



OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A bill making it illegal to post personal and threatening information about a police officer online is one step closer to Governor Kevin Stitt's desk.  Senate Bill 6 and House Bill 2273 both state someone could be arrested if they post to an online site "the information of a law enforcement officer with the intent to threaten, intimidate, harass, or stalk."

According to the bills, this includes "name, address, phone number, Social Security number," or "a photograph or any other realistic likeness."

The bill goes on to say, "and as a result, causes, attempts to cause or would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress or financial loss to that person, or to that officer's family or household member or intimate partner."

Senator Kevin Matthews admits he voted 'yes' in committee last week, but after learning more about the bill, he voted 'no' on the Senate floor Monday afternoon.

Senator Matthews says he flipped his stance after he learned the language in the bill was too vague.
"If it's not clear in the bill, we should not pass it," Senator Kevin Matthews said. "I am very disappointed that the presenter was not clear when I asked that specific question 'does it include video?' He said no."

The first offense would be a misdemeanor followed by a felony on the second offense.

"For George Floyd, the only reason we know what happened is because it was videotaped," Senator Matthews said.

"People could have the harm of being arrested and jailed for any number of days by the same force they are trying to hold accountable," Director of Policy and Advocacy at ACLU Oklahoma Nicole McAfee said.

"I hope the legislature will care about free speech and don't harm people's rights to engage in accountability," McAfee said.
https://kfor.com/news/local/oklahoma-bill-could-make-it-illegal-to-post-threatening-content-of-police-online/


"With this bill, on the floor it was made clear that anyone posting videos or photos of law enforcement would be expected to blur out their names on badges," Nicole McAfee, director of policy and advocacy for ACLU Oklahoma, said.
https://kfor.com/news/oklahoma-legislature/controversial-anti-doxxing-bill-signed-into-oklahoma-law-by-gov-stitt

[patric]

Oklahoma bill makes it illegal to photo or film police

Oklahoma Legislators passed the second of two companion bills on Wednesday that would criminalize anyone who films and publicly posts a photo of police officers.

Determined to prove their support for law enforcement, Oklahoma senators and representatives are taking a drastic step. The legislation would make it more difficult to hold public servants accountable for their misconduct.

State representatives unanimously passed House Bill 2273 out of the House Judiciary Criminal Committee Wednesday morning. It makes a criminal out of anyone who intentionally publishes personally identifiable information of a law enforcement officer, such as a photo or video, with the intent to "threaten, intimidate, harass or stalk," according to the bill's text. 

The bill would create a misdemeanor charge for the first violation and a felony for any further violations that "causes, attempts to cause or would be reasonably expected to cause substantial emotional distress or financial loss to the law enforcement officer, or to the family, household member or intimate partner of the law enforcement officer."

Notably, what the bill considers "personally identifiable information" mixes in the reasonable with the extreme.  Along with name, birth date, and address, it lists telephone number, driver license number, Social Security number, place of employment, and mother's maiden name as items that would be banned from being made public by civilians. At the end of the list, it includes: "a photograph or any other realistic likeness of the person."

It would seem obvious that Social Security numbers of any employee should remain private, which makes one wonder what the motivation was for including photos of any personal likeness. Historically and even recently, video footage has been one of the only reliable ways to hold law-breaking police officers accountable.

Senate Bill 6 is a companion bill with the same language. It recently passed the Republican-dominated Senate Public Safety Committee. More than one advocacy group has come out against it.

"If the personally identifiable information specifically excluded name, place of employment, and a photograph we would probably not oppose the bill," said Cindy Alexander of Indivisible Stillwater Oklahoma, an education and advocacy group. "Video is like an extension of our collective eyes and we don't want our eyes blindfolded." Alexander said that while it threatens the rights of Oklahomans, she doesn't expect it to pass.

But both Senate Bill 6 and House Bill 2273 now seem poised to move to a floor vote in their respective chambers. If they pass, there will be next to nothing preventing the Governor from signing the new legislation into law.

Oklahomans may be used to watching the Republican-controlled legislature pass bills unfriendly to racial justice and equal rights. But it wasn't just Republicans who voted for the Senate and House versions of this new law. This time Democrats did, too.

State Representatives Jose Cruz (D-OKC) and Jason Lowe (D-OKC) joined their counterparts in passing the bill.

Days earlier, Senate Bill 6 also passed unanimously out of the Senate Public Safety Committee. The committee's only two Democrats, state Senators Kevin Matthews (D-Tulsa) and Michael Brooks (D-OKC), both voted yes on the measure.

The BWSTimes reached out to state Senator Paul Rosino (R-OKC), who authored Senate Bill 6.  His office didn't return a request for comment. TheBWSTimes also reached out to every Democratic state Rep. and state Senate member who voted for these bills, but only Kevin Matthews responded. He said he no longer supports the bill, and will vote no when it comes to the Senate floor. Kevin Matthews is founder and chairman of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission.

"My specific question was does this include videotaping officers? Such as the George Floyd incident. The author stated no it did not," Matthews said in an email, defending his initial vote. Matthews said he and his Democratic colleagues voted out of the interests of privacy and safety. He said they couldn't find any negative statements from the ACLU at the time.

"With the calls and emails, including yours, that I am now getting about this bill, I will be voting no on the floor and debating against it," Matthews said. But the cat is out of the bag, so to speak. A handful of Democrats won't have much say in whether the measures pass the full floor. Republicans hold a supermajority in both state chambers.

Voicing their concerns, the ACLU of Oklahoma came out strongly against Senate Bill 6 and its companion in an interview with the BWSTimes.
"While police and law enforcement officers like everyone have a reasonable expectation of privacy at their job, legislation like this isn't about privacy. It's about interfering with accountability," said Nicole McAfee, director of policy and advocacy for ACLU-OK.  "And given the lack of trust that exists, legislation like this poses a threat to necessary and continuing movement work."

She, along with the ACLU-OK's new Black executive director Tamya Cox-Toure, both agreed it was a "pretty direct response" to Black Lives Matter protests in the Summer of 2020.

"And I think with legislation like this we can't take for granted the fact that supermajorities in both chambers are willing to pass political bills for the sake of passing them, regardless of the harm they do," McAfee warned.

It's unclear when Senate Bill 6 or House Bill 2273 will be heard on their respective floors. But both bills have now passed what is called the second reading. The deadline for the third reading of bills falls on March 11.
https://theblackwallsttimes.com/2021/02/24/oklahoma-bill-makes-it-illegal-to-photo-or-film-police-dems-vote-yes/

[whoatown]

Got a flyer in the mail today saying that the illustrious state senator Ross Ford voted for vax mandates.

Ross Ford replaced the late David Brumbaugh. 

During the special election, his wife and daughter came around and campaigned.  But now she is running for Broken Arrow city council.  She is already part of the BA police department.  And Ross was on the police force also.

They didn't have much of their facts straight on the teacher reforms and they had their strike anyways.  Thanks to the planned-demic, they don't even have school. 

If you want positive change you probably don't want to keep voting for this again and again. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Got a flyer in the mail today saying that the illustrious state senator Ross Ford voted for vax mandates.

Ross Ford replaced the late David Brumbaugh.  

During the special election, his wife and daughter came around and campaigned.  But now she is running for Broken Arrow city council.  She is already part of the BA police department.  And Ross was on the police force also.

They didn't have much of their facts straight on the teacher reforms and they had their strike anyways.  Thanks to the planned-demic, they don't even have school.  

If you want positive change you probably don't want to keep voting for this again and again.  

In general, if Oklahoma voted for him he is gonna be substandard.   And Broken Arrow, in particular, chooses some of the worst.

What is odd is that he would support something so blatantly un-Republicontin as doing something good for public health...

[whoatown]

In general, if Oklahoma voted for him he is gonna be substandard.   And Broken Arrow, in particular, chooses some of the worst.

What is odd is that he would support something so blatantly un-Republicontin as doing something good for public health...

Now this same group is sending me stuff about Debra Wimpee and how witches are controlling city council meetings.  Apparently based on a facebook post, but who are these people sending these things?  Say they aren't supporting any particular candidate.  And then there is the other lady who thinks we needed mandated mask wearing.  Just sounds like we need the vax too.  They just passed a resolution but still not a mandate.