OKLAHOMA CITY — Governor Mary Fallin today commended the Senate Appropriations Committee for its bipartisan support of four bills related to reforms she highlighted in her State of the State address at the start of this year’s legislative session.
“Our state prisons are filled to well over capacity so it is crucial that we make some changes to our criminal justice system,” said Fallin. “These measures do not jeopardize public safety while addressing Oklahoma’s prison population, which is among the highest in the nation. I appreciate the support of the Senate Appropriations Committee in approving these vital measures.”
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed:
- House Bill (HB) 2472 would give prosecutors discretion to file charges for non-85 percent crimes as misdemeanors instead of felonies.
- HB 2479 would reduce the mandatory punishment for subsequent drug offenses.
- HB 2751 would raise the threshold for property crimes to be charged as a felony to $1,000.
- HB 2753 would establish means for broader use of drug courts.
The measures, all by Rep. Pam Peterson, now go to the full Senate. Sen. Greg Treat is the Senate sponsor of HB 2472, HB 2479 and HB 2751. Sen. Wayne Shaw is Senate sponsor of HB 2753.
The bills were proposed by the governor’s Oklahoma Justice Reform Committee.
They won the endorsement of several groups and business leaders, such as the Oklahoma Policy Institute; the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber; the Tulsa Regional Chamber; the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association; Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) President Jonathan Small; OCPA Impact; Clay Bennett; David Rainbolt; and Adam Luck, state director of Right on Crime.
The Oklahoma Justice Reform Committee includes the governor, House speaker, Senate president pro tempore and heads of corrections and mental health departments, with subcommittees made up of prosecutors, judges and law officers.
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