Override by lawmakers revives bill to stiffen DUI penalties
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Oklahoma legislators used their final hours of the legislative session to override 47 of Governor Kevin Stitt's vetoes. One of the bills revived dealt with stiffer penalties for DUI offenders.
Senate Bill 54 unanimously passed through the override process in the House but squeaked by in the Senate, gaining the necessary two-thirds majority.
Jeff Murrow, executive director of Victims of Impaired Drivers (VOID OK) has been actively advocating for tougher DUI laws at the State Capitol since his daughter's death.
'Marissa was killed in October of 2020 by a man that was nearly three times the legal limit. Driving the wrong way on the Kilpatrick Turnpike,' said Murrow.
Oklahoma lawmakers override record number of vetoes, remove Stitt appointee in dramatic end to legislative session
He said the man behind the wheel had four previous DUIs.'You can't say it's a mistake when it's their second, third, fourth time to repeat,' said Murrow.
He helped draft the bill which expanded penalties for aggravated DUI to include other crimes like causing an accident, eluding police, speeding in a school zone, and driving with someone under 18 in the car.
Governor Stitt vetoed the bill saying that it was 'imposing one-size-fits-all penalties risks unjust outcomes and unnecessary incarceration.'
But Murrow disagreed.'What we're trying to do is stop treating DUI as a one-size-fits-all,' said Murrow.
According to the Oklahoma County Detention Center, the jail has dealt with 678 DUI charges since January 1, 2025. The jail saw 84 people facing DUI charges brought in during the month of May, with 17 of those as repeat offenders.
It's a patter Murrow hopes to prevent with the new law.'We can't just put people right back on the street and let them continue to drink and drive or abuse drugs and drive,' said Murrow. The new law will go into effect November 1st.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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