House Media

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Tim Turner, R-Kinta, released the following statement following the death of Porum Police Officer Richard Phillips, who was killed Thursday morning in a vehicle accident in Pittsburg County.  “I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Patrol Officer Richard Phillips, who was tragically killed Thursday morning in a vehicle accident in Pittsburg County. Officer Phillips was a proud Marine veteran, a devoted father and a dedicated public servant who served his community and country with honor. He was the kind of officer any department would be proud to have, hardworking, compassionate and committed to the call of service.  My family extends our heartfelt prayers to Officer Phillips’ children, his loved ones and his brothers and sisters in law enforcement as they mourn this tremendous loss. May they find comfort and peace in the days ahead.”  -END-   Rep. Tim Turner, a Republican, represents House District 15 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Haskell County and portions of McIntosh, Muskogee, Le Flore and Pittsburg counties.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, and Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, this week submitted a request to the state attorney general asking for clarification and guidance concerning the enforcement and intent of House Bill 1217 . The measure prohibits adult performances containing obscene material in public spaces where children might be present. The bill passed with an emergency clause allowing it to become effective immediately after the governor signed it into law May 9. "We were very clear in our legislative intent," West said. "We want to protect minors and the general public from exposure to obscenity in public settings. This law was pursued to give clear direction to municipalities, event organizers and law enforcement so issues of public exposure can be avoided before they happen rather than punished after the fact." Sen. Bullard said, “Our goal is to ensure that there is no confusion with municipalities about the expectations of this law. Obscene behavior in front of kids is not acceptable, and their job is to protect the kids who are in their public places from obscenities. If a council or organizer hosts an event they have approved then they must, by law, make sure it will not be obscene.” In the request sent to the attorney general, the two lawmakers specified that HB1217 directly incorporates the definition of obscene material that exists in state statute, which codifies the Miller v. California test. "That test exists to thread the needle between rights – acknowledging that individuals have broad constitutional freedoms in how they dress, express themselves, and perform, while also protecting the community's and families' right, and indeed responsible expectation, not to be involuntarily exposed to explicit sexual conduct or imagery in public or 'family-friendly' spaces," the request reads. "This balance is not only the foundation of obscenity law; it is also the proper balance between local discretion and state-level consistency." West and Bullard asked the attorney general to address six specific questions regarding the new law, one of which asked if it is accurate to interpret the bill as being enacted primarily to prevent exposure to obscene material through clear statutory limits and proactive compliance by local governments, rather than to create new grounds for prosecution. The purpose of the questions, they said, was to promote clarity, consistency and prevention. They said a timely clarification for municipalities is needed given that this time of year includes numerous community festivals, holiday parades and public events across the state. A full copy of the letter can be read here .

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill helping to further remove discriminatory and unfair housing regulations from Oklahoma property records takes effect Nov. 1. House Bill 2171 , authored by Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando, eases the process for property owners and homeowner associations to remove unlawful land restrictions from property records – many of which were drafted more than a century ago. The measure builds on legislation Pfeiffer authored the last several years that allows counties and municipalities to remove illegal, often discriminatory, covenants from within their charters. The process started with House Bill 2088 in 2023 and then Senate Bill 1617 in 2024. HB2171, passed this year, extends the right of repudiation to individual property owners and homeowner associations. “I’m glad to bring Oklahoma in line with other conservative states like Texas and Florida that have already done this,” Pfeiffer said. "Addressing this ensures offensive and illegal language can now be purged from these records." Pfeiffer explained HB2171 includes language from the Uniform Commercial Code, which standardizes business dealings across states. This will put Oklahoma property covenant language in line with other states that have passed similar measures. The updated language ensures property records match across local jurisdictions and from state to state. Unfair housing restrictions in the past century sometimes specified that people of certain skin colors or ethnicities – most often those of African descent – could not purchase property in certain developments. Some went so far as to specify that land could never be sold, conveyed or occupied by any person other than one of all white Caucasian Blood. The Supreme Court, in 1948, ruled racially restrictive housing covenants were illegal, but property records still retain the outdated language 77 years later. Pfeiffer said the new laws clarify that all property records can finally be updated to reflect current law. Pfeiffer said he worked with Realtors, abstractors, county clerks and others to ensure they had a clear path to eliminate the discriminatory language in covenants, conveyances, deeds and other documents used to transfer property ownership. "I'm glad to clean up the remnants of these horrible practices," Pfeiffer said.