The Oklahoma House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations for rape in certain situations. Senate Bill 1658 from Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, and House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, eliminates the statute of limitations for rape when DNA evidence emerges or when a suspect confesses to the crime. The current statute of limitations for rape when the victim is age 18 or older is 12 years. The bill passed the House unanimously after the measure was amended to include expanding the statute of limitations on the dissemination of revenge porn from 12 to 20 years. “Oklahoma needs to be tough on crime when it comes to heinous offenses such as rape,” Garvin said. “This is a common-sense measure that will allow prosecutors to charge rapists to the full extent of the law when DNA evidence or a confession comes to light. I thank Leader Echols for partnering with me to make this critical legislation even stronger by also cracking down on those who disseminate revenge porn.” "Every victim, regardless of when they suffered, deserves equal opportunity to see justice done," Echols said. "By eliminating the statute of limitations in cases where DNA evidence exists or a confession is obtained, we can end impunity for perpetrators and deliver justice for victims." This bill was requested by Attorney General Gentner Drummond. SB 1658 now returns to the Senate, where it previously passed with unanimous support.
Rep. John George, R-Newalla, on Monday, secured passage of a bill to increase penalties for strangulation offenses. Senate Bill 1211 would increase the punishment for assault and battery by strangulation or attempted strangulation against an intimate partner or household member from a maximum of three years to a maximum term of up to 10 years in prison. "Senate Bill 1211 recognizes the gravity of domestic violence and ensures that perpetrators are adequately punished for their crimes," George said. "Strangulation is a heinous crime that demands immediate acknowledgment of its severity. This legislation leaves no room for ambiguity about Oklahoma's stance on such behavior." Under the measure, an individual would be fined up to $20,000 for their first offense rather than having to acquire a second offense. George said this modification ensures that offenders face a severe punishment regardless of the number of times they have committed the offense. Oklahoma's Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board found that more than 100 victims were killed in domestic violence-related homicides in 2022, marking four consecutive years with more than 100 victims. Reflecting efforts to hold domestic abusers accountable, George authored a similar bill in the House. Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, serves as the Senate author for the measure. "Those who have experienced strangulation are at an exponentially higher risk of further abuse or death. Increasing the criminal punishment for strangulation is imperative as we must hold violent offenders accountable and also provide protection for victims who are at risk of further harm," Thompson said. "I appreciate the House for their support of this critical reform and putting it one step closer to becoming law." SB1211 passed the House 86 – 3 and now moves to the Governor's desk for consideration.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, today issued the following statements regarding Gov. Stitt's public criticism of his vote against a bill that would authorize the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety to provide the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) vehicle registration information. Senate Bill 1907 would allow the sharing of information that is available through the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunication Systems (OLETS) network. Stitt, in a Friday press conference, criticized the six House members who voted no on the measure in the House Public Safety Committee causing the bill to fail. The governor has accused the Cherokee Nation of owing the state $4.7 million for Cherokee tag information that cannot be accessed by the OTA's tag readers. "It is no secret Governor Stitt has numerous disputes with Oklahoma tribes, and I was certainly not stunned by his position on this bill," Humphrey said, "But his personal aggression did come as a total surprise since neither he nor anyone from his office contacted me concerning my vote." Humphrey explained the bill sought to allow the state to use OLETS to collect tribal tag information for the purpose of collecting unpaid turnpike toll fees. He said the governor is making it sound as if the vote all about tribes, but the tribal element is only one factor of the bill. "For me there is a much larger component, which is that OLETS shouldn't be used for anything other than law enforcement," Humphrey said. "This bill seeks to commandeer OLETS for the purpose of toll fee collection. I truly believe this would compromise the integrity of our law enforcement by releasing confidential information designated solely for their purposes." Humphrey said this could result in legal issues which could prevent Oklahoma from receiving information from federal agencies or other state agencies. "I love Governor Stitt and the great people at the Turnpike Authority, but I will not apologize for protecting the integrity of law enforcement and for trying to work with our Tribal nations," Humphrey said. He said it also is his understanding that the OTA knew when they installed the digital tag readers it would result in a significant loss of income to the state turnpikes. "I feel the Turnpike Authority has pursued several questionable practices to recover their loss," he said. "Hijacking OLETS is only one method the authority has employed. Another is to prevent a person from purchasing a tag unless all their turnpike fees are paid. I feel strongly it is wrong to coerce someone to pay or force them to violate another state law – driving with an out-of-date tag." Humphrey said such enforcement denies any type of probable cause hearing to determine that a fee was unpaid. Finally, Humphrey said there is an issue with collecting tolls from some Oklahoma tribes. "Let me state clearly, I believe tribal and non-tribal citizens should pay equally for turnpike use," Humphrey said. "I have visited with many tribal members, and I have not talked to one tribal citizen who disagreed. In fact, the Choctaw Nation, which has its capital in my district, has already reached an agreement and continues to provide their information. Therefore, the issue reverts to the issue of tribal compacts for our other tribal nations." Humphrey volunteered his services to broker compact agreements. "If an agreement cannot be reached, I could certainly devote my time to developing a more suitable plan for obtaining tribal tag information," he said. He also pledged to help the governor recover the $4 million in lost revenue, saying he would start by looking at inefficiencies in other areas of government. Senate Bill 1907, which received a 2-6 vote, failed in the House Public Safety Committee on April 9.