FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2016
Governor Mary Fallin Applauds Oklahoma Senate for Passing Criminal
Justice Bills
OKLAHOMA CITY — Governor Mary Fallin
today thanked the Oklahoma Senate for its bipartisan and overwhelming approval
of four criminal justice bills related to reforms spotlighted in her State of
the State address at the start of this year’s legislative session.
“Oklahoma’s drug possession sentences
have filled our prisons to over capacity,” said Fallin. “These sentences, while
well intentioned, tend to send some nonviolent offenders into prison for years
and years, where they live alongside violent offenders whose bad influences can
make nonviolent offenders worse.
“Keeping our public safe from dangerous
people will always be a priority, however with our state prisons filled to well
over capacity, it is vital that we make some changes to our criminal justice
system. These measures will address Oklahoma’s prison population, which is
among the highest in the nation, without jeopardizing public safety.”
The Senate 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 Senate approval was the last
legislative hurdle for the measures. All four now go to the governor.
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.
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