Representative Justin Humphrey

R

District 19

Hi, I'm Justin Humphrey and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 19th District.


representative

News & Announcements

Jun 14, 2024
Recent Posts

Representatives Commend Governor's Line-Item Veto of Education Budget Limits Bill

A group of legislators on Friday praised the governor's line-item veto of Sections 15 and 16 of Senate Bill 1122, which would have placed spending limits on the State Department of Education (SDE) for its Fiscal Year 2025 budget, which goes into effect July 1. The statement is issued by Reps. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid; Chris Banning, R-Bixby; Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle; Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita; Denise Crosswhite Hader, R-Piedmont; David Hardin, R-Stilwell; JJ Humphrey, R-Lane; Tom Gann, R-Inola; Jim Grego, R-Wilburton; Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa; Mark Lepak, R-Claremore; Cody Maynard, R-Durant; Jim Olsen, R-Roland; Clay Staires, R-Skiatook; Kevin West, R-Moore; and Rick West, R-Heavener. "We'd like to thank Governor Stitt for his thoughtful line-item veto of Sections 15 and 16 of Senate Bill 1122," they said. "These portions of the bill would have done nothing to improve the education of Oklahoma students and instead would have significantly damaged the Department of Education's ability to carry out its mission." The lawmakers said Section 15 of SB1122 would have required SDE to apply for every federal grant, while Section 16 would have included provisions that forbid SDE from using any money to secure media interviews or public relations, or for other public promotional purposes. The group noted that no other agency is subject to these restrictions. State agencies are granted the autonomy to decide which grants to apply for and almost every state agency spends money to communicate to the public about particular programs or services offered. Section 16 would have singled out and severely limited SDE in this function. The lawmakers spoke about the Teacher of the Year program, teacher recruitment efforts, certain financial disclosures, and other public relations messages that would have been hampered should this measure have been signed into law. On Friday afternoon, the governor issued Executive Order 2024-12, which prohibits all state agencies, rather than inequitably highlighting a specific agency, from entering into sole source contracts with public relations, marketing, or communications firms and vendors, as well as requires all PR vendors be procured through a 30-day request for proposal.

May 30, 2024
Recent Posts

Humphrey Asks DOC Director to Justify Pay Raise

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, on May 29, sent a letter to Oklahoma Department of Corrections Executive Director Steven Harpe asking him again to provide verification of how his $90,000 pay increase was authorized. Humphrey said in the letter that he's repeatedly asked Harpe for this information. He said he's even provided copies of the Oklahoma Titles and Statutes that outline procedures for increasing a director's pay. "According to Oklahoma law, such raises must be approved by the Department of Corrections Board and compensation shall be determined by the governor," Humphrey said. Humphrey said the director told legislators during a budget hearing that he had transferred his salary as director of the Office of Management and Enterprise services to his position as director of DOC. Humphrey said he asked House legal staff to examine the legality of such a move and was provided with statutes confirming the director's pay shall be approved and fixed by the DOC board after being determined by the governor. "I'm once again politely asking you to provide tangible evidence that you received authorization for this $90,000 pay increase," Humphrey wrote in his letter to Harpe. As chair of the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee and as an elected official, Humphrey said he believes it is his duty to obtain straightforward and rational documentation on this matter. He said if he fails to receive a satisfactory response, he'll be compelled to prepare a probable cause affidavit and publicly request charges be filed for the crime of embezzlement. A full copy of the letter can be found here: Humphrey_Request_DOC_55cb0d7fa7.pdf (dgbf0g52sf9l0.cloudfront.net) .

May 15, 2024
Recent Posts

Humphrey Responds to DOC on 'Group Disturbance' in Lawton

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, today responded to what the Department of Corrections (DOC) is calling a "group disturbance" at the Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility. Humphrey, who chairs the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, recently criticized the department after two inmates were killed at the facility, which is managed by The Geo Group, a private owner. Initial reports said more than 30 people, including a corrections officer, were injured in the May 10 event. Corrections officials later downgraded that report to say only three people were injured. "I have been warning about escalation for months now in our state prison system, and here within the last two weeks we have multiple reports of incidences of violence resulting in death or injury in state prisons," Humphrey said. "And these are just the latest in a long list of such reports." In addition to the May 10 incident in Lawton, there was another report of inmate-on-inmate assault that sent two to the hospital with minor injuries from the same facility the week prior. Humphrey said he also received reports of a stabbing at a prison in Holdenville during the same timeframe. In addition, DOC reported that a deputy warden at the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center was terminated and arrested May 10 for the introduction of contraband into a penal institution. Upon first hearing reports of two killed and 30 injured in Lawton, Humphrey called the Lawton incident a "mini riot" and said at the very least it was a precursor to a riot. In a May 13 press release, DOC Chief of Public Relations Kay Thompson called the event a "group disturbance" and said Humphrey "seems to lack an understanding of precisely what constitutes a riot in a correctional setting." She said the department’s definition of a riot was "when inmates band together and are violent toward the facility and staff, causing massive damage and disrupting operations." Humphrey said her definition sounds "exactly like what is reported to have happened in Lawton. It's not my fault if the department can't count – there's a big discrepancy between 30 injured and three." Thompson also reportedly told media outlets the "disturbance" happened as a result of human error, when two rival gangs were place in the same area together. Humphrey said he looks forward to Thompson following through on her public promise to release full details of the event once an investigation is complete. But he again is calling for an outside investigation of this and other reports of rapes, murders, assaults and other human rights violations at state prisons. Humphrey said he also takes issue with Thompson's claim he is misrepresenting the truth to fit a "self-serving" narrative. "My political career has been greatly harmed because of my willingness to take a stand on this and other issues that involve millions of taxpayer dollars," Humphrey said. "Bottom line is I will keep fighting for the rights of our correctional officers and our inmates and their family members and others who are affected by what's happening behind the walls of our corrections' centers." Humphrey has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and served over 20 years in the DOC. He is certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET), and has many other law enforcement certifications or endorsements. He previously served as chair of the House Public Safety Committee.