Committees

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, today commented on two bills he filed this year that would abolish the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), placing it under the Department of Corrections (DOC), and that would rename the latter to the Department of Corruption. "Recently, I was harshly criticized for filing these bills," Humphrey said. "Please allow me to explain why I would use extreme measures to expose the unscrupulous actions of certain state agencies." Humphrey, the vice chair of the House Public Safety Committee and a member of the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee, said he filed House Bill 1343 because he believes the ODMHSAS has failed to provide adequate mental health facilities across the state. "This has resulted in thousands of inmates in our jails and prisons who have mental health issues," he said. "Oklahoma jails are not equipped with mental health facilities or staff adequately trained to deal with those with such disabilities. Thus, our jails have been inundated with lawsuits. Because of these, our jails risk losing their insurance coverage. This means taxpayers could be on the hook for incredible increases in their taxes." The only relief for county jails, Humphrey said, is to move inmates to prisons. This has resulted in thousands of such inmates being received by DOC, which he said is equally ill-equipped to properly house or treat this number of mentally ill offenders. An inmate was killed at the Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility earlier this month. Humphrey says he has received tips the inmate was beheaded. He said the immediate reaction would be to blame the facility, but he suggested taking a closer look. "It is my understanding the Department of Corrections dumped countless mental health inmates in this center," Humphrey said. "Many inmates with untreated mental health disorders may turn violent, and the Lawton Correctional Facility is not equipped to manage this properly. I believe the Department of Corrections intentionally placed a shocking number of mental health inmates at this facility knowing it could create a catastrophe. "You don’t need a degree in corrections to know this would result in deadly consequences. This begs the question, why would the Department of Corrections assign a huge number of high-risk inmates to a facility they have openly criticized? Why would the Department of Corrections intentionally sabotage this private facility?"  Oklahoma contracts with the GEO Group, a private prison company, which runs the Lawton Facility and the Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton. Humphrey said it's his understanding the contracts provide housing for between 4,000 to 4,500 inmates between the two facilities. "In the past, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections was this private prison company's only option for leasing their facility," he said. "However, presently the federal government is looking for prison space to house illegal migrants. What does all this mean? It means the governor and DOC have placed Oklahoma in the most dreadful, wretched negotiation position ever." Humphrey said DOC has mentioned the possible purchase of the Lawton prison for approximately $314 million. The facility is 27 years old and has some structural issues. "To my knowledge the Department of Corrections has offered no bids for the cost of building a new facility and has failed to offer any alternatives to place thousands of high-risk inmates," he said. Instead, Humphrey believes that placing a large number of high-risk patients with mental health disorders at this facility, and then allowing the private prison contract to expire, is a strategy to force the purchase of the 27-year-old prison. This was part of the reason he filed House Bill 1310 . "But don’t overlook or ignore the contract with the second private facility located in Hinton," he said. "How many millions will this extremely insufficient facility cost?" Humphrey said the DOC has only a few months to offer solutions to this "colossal debacle" and "sadly it appears purchasing the prison is the only option." He wonders if that was the plan all along. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure designed to strengthen protections for children in qualified residential treatment programs has successfully passed the House with unanimous support. House Bill 2207 , authored by Rep. Mike Lay, R-Jenks, allows qualified residential treatment programs to petition for protective orders on behalf of children in their care against third parties who pose a physical or emotional threat. The legislation ensures courts expedite the review of these petitions to provide timely intervention for vulnerable children. “This bill is about giving children in residential care the protection they deserve,” said Rep. Mike Lay. “By allowing these facilities to take swift legal action against those who pose a threat, we are reinforcing our commitment to their safety and well-being.” The bill amends 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1-1-105, by defining “third party” as it relates to children and outlining the legal process for residential programs to seek protective orders. Facilities must provide evidence of harassment, abuse, neglect, exploitation or other harmful behaviors when filing a petition. HB2207, with a 92-0 vote, now moves to the Senate for consideration.

A measure modifying the dates for certain elections has successfully passed the House floor and is now one step closer to becoming law. Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, introduced  House Bill 2106  to increase voter participation in all elections while ensuring Oklahomans have plenty of opportunities to cast their votes. Under the current system, there are 12 possible election dates in odd-numbered years and seven in even-numbered years. House Bill 2106 streamlines this process by establishing five election days annually, scheduled in February, April, June, August and November. "House Bill 2106 is a common sense bill that streamlines our election calendar, reducing voter fatigue and making it easier for Oklahomans to participate in the voting process," Osburn said. "Consolidating elections not only helps keep voters engaged but also ensures a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars and maintains Oklahoma's election security." The bill ensures that major election dates, such as those in November, remain unchanged while reducing the number of special election dates. It preserves exceptions for special elections called by the governor and establishes clear guidelines for when additional elections can be scheduled. While the new structure would affect the timing of some special elections, propositions and candidate races, all other elections, including the absentee and early voting processes, would remain unaffected. HB2106 passed the House floor 92-0 and now moves to the Senate.