Oklahoma’s 59th Legislative Session witnessed a variety of important bills sidelined due to disagreements among the House, Senate, and Governor regarding education funding.
Despite the disagreements, Right On Crime (ROC) was able to help move several bills forward and set the groundwork for the 2024 session. These bills will make a historic investment in community treatment for behavioral health, increased eligibility for parole, expanded diversion and treatment programs, and increased penalties for some of the worst crimes.
Unfortunately, negotiations effectively shut down all progress at the Capitol during our efforts to pass legislation that would create a classification system for felony offenses and decrease the reliance on felony fines and fees.
- HB2649 was signed by Governor Kevin Stitt. ROC supported the Community Sentencing Act, allowing for misdemeanor crimes to be considered for diversion and treatment programs.
- ROC supported the veto of HB1612 which would have increased the crimes under the 85% law, however, the legislature overrode the veto.
- ROC supported SB123, which makes it easier to be considered for parole.
- ROC supported the coalition efforts to pass HB1639 which establishes provisions for victims of domestic abuse charged with certain crimes to utilize an affirmative defense of self-defense. This bill was sent to the Governor.
- Also sent to the Governor, SB674 would set up a task force to study retail theft.
- ROC supported SB844 and SB27. These bills together set up a process for distributing funds for behavioral health programs and appropriates $12.5 million for those programs.
- ROC supported SB1046 which increases penalties for a first offense of domestic abuse against a pregnant woman from a misdemeanor to a felony.
ROC looks forward to continuing our work on these efforts during the interim, and we we are optimistic about the potential for conservative, data-driven criminal justice policies in Oklahoma’s 60th Legislative Session.
