OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Daniel Pae is adamant in his fight to stop human trafficking in Oklahoma and the United States.
Pae (R-Lawton) along with state Sen. Darrell Weaver (R-Moore) were presented the Guardian Award for developing legislation that will continue to thwart human trafficking. The award was presented by the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women.
“I’m honored to receive this award,” Pae said. “It’s a team effort. There are other legislators who are passionate about eradicating human trafficking. We’ve made progress, but we still have work to do.”
Pae and Weaver were presented the Guardian awards April 29 at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City. Pae received his award from Advisory Council Chair Nyla Khan, a noted author and member of the Harvard-based Scholars Strategy Network.
Since college, Pae has advocated against human trafficking. Recently he co-authored several pieces of legislation targeted at reducing and/or eliminating human trafficking in Oklahoma.
“For the past four years in the state Legislature, I have done my best to advocate for victims of domestic violence, children in difficult situations at home, and victims of sex trafficking. One of the laws I am most proud of is Senate Bill 200, which allows victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking to terminate their lease agreement without paying a penalty and move to a safer environment,” the lawmaker said.
For example, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 974 that human trafficking crimes must be prosecuted within three years after they are discovered or reported to law enforcement. In some cases, Pae said, trafficking victims do not report the crime until much later or do not remember the crime until years later.
“That scenario plays out every day,” Pae said. “That bill is about helping the victims getting the assistance and justice they deserve.”
Another measure, House Bill 4210, would make the attorney general’s office a clearinghouse for all human trafficking reports so law enforcement agencies and victim support groups have a consistent system to share information. The data would be maintained by the Human Trafficking Response Unit, which is part of HB 4210.
The AG’s new unit would also assist law enforcement, social service agencies and private victim advocacy programs in identifying and supporting victims. HB 4210 has been approved in the Senate and sent back to the House to approve amendments.
Weaver, who was elected to the Senate in 2018 and is a former director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, has been a leader in educating Oklahomans about the realities of human trafficking.
“This distinguished award is meaningful because it is based on my work spent fighting the problems of human trafficking. We must be unmovable on our efforts to eradicate such a hideous issue that has stained our society. If we save one of these victims, our effort will be worth the fight,” he said.
Previous recipients of the Guardian Award are state Sen. Kay Floyd, former state Reps. Jason Dunnington, Jason Nelson, Dan Kirby, Pam Peters, and Ron Peters, former Speaker of the House Kris Steele, and former Sens. David Holt and AJ Griffin.