Representative Amanda Swope

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District 71

Hi, I’m Amanda Swope and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 71st District.

representative

News & Announcements

Oct 24, 2023
Recent Posts

Swope Plans Study to Explore Juvenile Justice

OKLAHOMA CITY – Representative Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, will explore juvenile justice in an upcoming interim study before the House Children, Youth, and Family Services Committee. IS23-086 is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 26th, in Room 5s2 at the State Capitol, 2300 N Lincoln Blvd. “The interim study will bring together organizations from across the state and the nation to provide a modern picture of the most pressing juvenile justice issues Oklahoma faces. Attendees will hear presentations from multiple juvenile justice programs throughout the state while being briefed on relevant data and local resources that are being utilized to provide intervention and accountability” said Rep. Amanda Swope  The study is open to the public and will be live-streamed at www.okhouse.gov . -END-

Aug 29, 2023
Recent Posts

House Democrats Call on Speaker of the House to Form Special Bipartisan Committee to Investigate State Superintendent

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, House Democrats called on the Speaker of the House to form a special bipartisan committee to investigate possible impeachment charges for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters amid recent bomb threats at Tulsa area elementary schools believed to be linked to Walters' rhetoric about Tulsa Public Schools. “Oklahomans deserve a public school system where parents, students and teachers feel safe to go to school and the needs of our students are prioritized over dangerous political rhetoric,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater. House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City said the special bipartisan committee would investigate the current state superintendent to determine if his actions rise to the level of impeachment. “Allocating funds for public education should be free of corruption or political gain. There is already evidence of Walters’ corruption through misspent federal dollars along with discrepancies in his campaign finances. Paired with his toxic rhetoric that is impacting the safety of our schools, we believe it is more than enough to, at the very least, investigate him,” Leader Munson said. Rep. Provenzano mentioned that the rhetoric from the state superintendent has been harmful and potentially compromised the safety of school children. She also believes he is willfully neglecting his duty of office. “The rhetoric from the state superintendent has, up until now, been designed to distract and ?sow chaos. But now, elementary schools in the Tulsa area have received bomb threats as a ?result of disinformation shared by him. Our children deserve to be safe. The willful neglect of ?that duty, even in the highest offices in our state, cannot and will not be ?overlooked. Enough is enough,” Rep. Provenzano added. Leader Munson said, "We share in the growing frustration of Oklahomans across our state who want action to address their deep concerns for the future of public education. It is now time for action." -END-

Aug 14, 2023
Recent Posts

Rep. Swope to Present Interim Study to Improve Juvenile Justice System

Data reveals Black and American Indian Children Are Overrepresented in Youth Justice System and Rural Resources Are Limited.  OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa will present an interim study to identify areas of improvement to the juvenile justice system. “I’ll be working with local and national organizations to look at juvenile justice best practices and identify ways Oklahoma’s system could be improved and the juvenile to adult incarceration pipeline can be stopped. We will look for restorative approaches to bring to our state that keep kids accountable while utilizing our best asset, strong community support," Rep. Swope said. The interim study will provide space and opportunity to collaborate with organizations like the Oklahoma Policy Institute to identify areas of improvement in the juvenile justice system. The Oklahoma Policy Institute in 2022 published Better Tomorrows: A Landscape Analysis of Oklahoma’s Youth Justice System and Suggested Reforms, a comprehensive look at the state's youth justice system. The report found that lack of public support for core programs that foster family and child well-being — including education, food security, economic opportunity, and mental health services — has led too many Oklahoma children to become involved in a youth justice system that is historically punitive and under-resourced. The data also showed Black and American Indian children are overrepresented in every part of the youth justice system, and that referrals to the youth justice system varied widely depending on the county. "Unless we move forward with data-driven reforms and build upon the utilization of evidence-based therapeutic models, Oklahoma's youth justice system will continue to traumatize far too many Oklahoma children and their families. We're grateful to Reps. Swope and Talley for a bipartisan examination of how we can improve Oklahoma's youth justice system to deliver on its responsibility to treat children as children in its mission to rehabilitate youth," said Jill Mencke, Youth Justice Policy Analyst for the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Solutions that legislators and policymakers may consider to improve our youth justice system include:    Fully funding core services and agencies in the youth justice sector. Extending and expanding support services, particularly in rural areas. Strengthening and adequately funding alternatives to incarceration that can help keep children out of our justice system and engaged in their communities. Eliminating youth court fines and fees to help Oklahoma’s children and their families get back on track. Establishing a minimum age of criminal responsibility in Oklahoma. Ensuring quality legal counsel for justice-involved children. Increase transparency and accountability by requiring regular reporting and clearly defined systems to measure success. Establishing a youth justice policy advocacy coalition focused on sustained change. The study will be heard before the House Children, Youth and Family Services Committee, which is chaired by Rep. John Talley, R-Stillwater. -END-