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Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
OK lawmakers Advances Bill to Governor Stitt to Raise Age of Consent
OKLAHOMA CITY—Oklahoma lawmakers sent a bill to Gov. Stitt to sign, raising the age of sexual consent to 18. If signed, Oklahoma would become the 12th state where the age of consent is 18. Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, authored House Bill 1003, which is designed to 'to shield minors from exploitation while still showing grace to young people in close-in-age relationships.' Under Oklahoma law and the proposed law, the maximum age difference is four years. The propsed law also clarifies that sex between a school employee and a student under the age of 20 is considered rape. The bill, House Bill 1003, also clarify the state's 'Romeo and Juliet' law, meaning young people who engage in consensual sexual activity with someone under 18 would not be charged with rape if the age difference between them is less than four years. The current Romeo and Juliet law applies when one partner is at least 14 but under 18, and the other is no more than four years older. Under the current law, a 17-year-old could legally engage in consensual relations with a 14-year-old, but an 18-year-old in the same situation would not be covered by the exemption. If the law is passed a 21-year-old could legally engage in a consensual relations with a 17-year-old. The Romeo and Juliet law does not apply if the older party is in a position of authority, trust, or influence over the younger individual, for example, teachers, coaches, clergy members, and others in positions of power. Sexual activity with a child below the age of 14 is classified as first-degree rape under Oklahoma law regardless of the age gap. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House lawmakers send Stitt bill raising Oklahoma age of consent to 18
Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, right, visits with former Rep. Randy Randleman, R-Eufaula, before an interim on Oct. 21 at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma House lawmakers on Thursday sent a bill to the governor's desk that would raise the age of sexual consent from 16 to 18. House Bill 1003 also contains a so-called 'Romeo and Juliet' provision, that protects 20 year olds from prosecution if they are within four years of age of a sexual partner. If signed into law by Gov. Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma would become one of about a dozen states that requires the age of consent to be 18. Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, who authored the measure, said lawmakers decided to expand the age window to protect 20 year olds who have consensual sexual relations with minors because Oklahoma students with disabilities may attend school until they're 20. He said the bill balances protecting teenagers who are having consensual sexual relationships with each other from getting charged with rape, while also protecting them from 35 and 40 year olds who may try to prey on them. He said current law permits a 16-year-old girl to have sex with a 100-year-old man. State Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City, who voted against the measure, said he didn't support allowing a 20-year-old man to have sex with a 16-year-old girl. 'The age gap here is not trivial,' he said. 'This creates a power imbalance,. Oone where young impressionable girls can be manipulated and taken advantage of.' Fugate said he might be on board with extending the grace period to 19, but once someone turns 20 or 21, they are no longer teenagers. 'We are being asked to allow adults to have extramarital sex with children,' he said. The measure passed the House by a 54-26 vote. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
