Bills affect homeless, addresses wildfires, makes OK a Second Amendment sanctuary state
Four bills currently wending their way through committees are tackling the "homeless" problem in Oklahoma, making electric utilities more responsible in relation to fires, and further strengthening Oklahoma as a sanctuary state with Second Amendment rights.
Senate Bill 484 was referred for a second reading to the Senate Local and County Government Committee Feb. 4, chaired by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-District 7, who also co-authored the bill.
The bill states that no municipality with a population under 300,000 shall provide programs or services to homeless persons, including but not limited to owning or leasing land for the purpose of building or maintaining a shelter. If the bill is signed into law, any municipality providing this kind of support "shall immediately terminate such services and, if the municipality currently owns or leases land for the purpose of building or maintaining a homeless shelter, cease using the land for such purpose."
In its current language, the definition of the term "homeless" includes those "persons and families who do not have access to normal accommodations as a result of violence or the threat of violence from a cohabitant."
State Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-District 15, who is the author of the bill with Hamilton, said Feb. 13 that the bill is in the process of being rewritten and will be available soon.
"It does carve out domestic shelters and youth shelters [as services that cannot be extended by a municipality]," said Susan Wallace, Standridge's executive assistant.
In concert with this effort against the homeless, House Bill 1764, which makes it illegal for the homeless to camp on any land owned by a city, county or the state, has made it to the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee, with a policy recommendation and a "Do Pass" given. A "do pass" motion means the bill moves out of the committee and is passed on to the floor.
State Sen. Tom Woods, R-District 4, has introduced several bills that are heading through the different committees. One of special note is S.B. 1071, which was referred for a second reading in the Senate Energy Committee. This one is of interest in relation to what has happened in two major wildfire events that have been connected to fires starting due to sparks from electrical lines: one in Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2023, and the latest ones in Southern California.
The bill requires electrical companies to have a fire protection plan, among other elements of the bill, such as allowing utility companies to recover costs under certain circumstances.
Glen Clark, director of Marketing and Member Services with Lake Regional Electric Cooperative, said the utility supports the proposed legislation in its current state.
"With the recent events on the West Coast and even our neighboring states, we are paying close attention to wildfires now, more than ever," Clark said. "Wildland fires are something we hope to avoid. Fortunately, for the most part, we do not experience extreme high winds for an extended timeframe. However, the local threat increases when the winds are high and the vegetation is dry."
Clark said LREC takes several steps to keep its system safe and reliable, including inspection of poles on a rolling cycle. The cooperative also sprays the system for brush and vegetation with a herbicide over a rotational period along the 3,100 miles of electrical lines in the system.
"LREC constantly modifies our facilities; we have a short- and long-range work plan that upgrades construction standards," Clark said. "We also have a tree and vegetation right-of-way management [plan]; we clear our ROWs every few years and it is a job that never ends."
At press time, Tahlequah Public Works Authority had not responded to a request to comment on the bill.
Woods has also introduced S.B. 526, an act relating to firearms, and among other things protects certain rights of law-abiding citizens and prohibiting law enforcement officers from obeying or enforcing certain orders. The bill was referred for a second reading to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 4. The bill makes the confiscation of firearms, accessories or ammunition an infringement on the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms.
"No law enforcement officer shall obey or enforce any direct or indirect order which violates the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; Article II, Section 26 of the Oklahoma Constitution; or the law enforcement oath of the law enforcement officer," states part A under Section 3 of the new law.
The bill also would prohibit the termination of any law enforcement officer who refuses to obey or enforce any order that violates the Second Amendment or Section 26 of the Oklahoma Constitution. If passed, the law would make any county or municipality a Second Amendment sanctuary county or municipality.
Cherokee County Sheriff Jason Chennault said the way he understands the bill is that it declares the entire state of Oklahoma a Second Amendment Sanctuary, a statewide declaration most country sheriffs, including himself, made in 2021.
"The bill goes a little further, and if passed into law, will keep law enforcement officers from being retaliated against by their local governments for not violating the rights of legal firearms owners," Chennault said.
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