Senate bill would allow city workers to carry weapons
The Senate approved a measure on Tuesday to give municipalities local control to adopt policies allowing their employees to carry concealed firearms.
Senate Bill 644, authored by Sen. Blake Cowboy Stephens, R-Tahlequah, would allow certain employees to carry a concealed firearm on municipal property if the employee has a valid handgun license. The employee must carry the firearm on his or her person or store it in a locked and secured location with permission of the governing body.
Under the measure, any employee authorized to carry and acting in a reasonable and prudent manner would be immune from civil and criminal liability
for any injury resulting from the carrying, accidental or intentional discharge or a handgun on municipal property. The municipality would also be immune from civil and criminal liability.
The bill goes to the state House for its consideration.
Modernization of court clerk services approved
The Senate unanimously approved a measure on Monday that would modernize court clerk services.
Senate Bill 569, authored by Sen. Joe Newhouse, R-Tulsa, would allow certified copies
of county land records to be signed, notarized and recorded electronically.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the benefits
of being able to provide timely services in a virtual manner,” Newhouse said. “Providing electronically certified copies would be more convenient and cost effective for stakeholders since it would eliminate the need to physically appear at the clerk’s office or use mail services to obtain the documents.”
Under the measure, the fee for an electronically certified copy would be the same as a paper copy. The state House must now take up the bill.
Senate approves Second Amendment Sanctuary Act
The Oklahoma Senate gave approval to the Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act on Tuesday, which would preempt legislation by any agency or political subdivision of the state to infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of Oklahoma citizens.
Authored by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, Senate Bill 631 states any federal, state, county or municipal act, law, executive order, administrative order, court order, rule, policy or regulation ordering the buyback, confiscation or surrender of firearms, gun accessories or ammunition from law-abiding Oklahomans is an infringement against the right to keep and bear arms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
The measure is co-authored by several senators including Jessica Garvin (R-Duncan), John Michael Montgomery (R-Lawton) and Rob Standridge (R-Norman). The bill also is supported by 23 sheriffs including Joe Janz of Kiowa County, Roger LeVick of Jackson County and Wayne McKinney of Stephens County.
Bill would create more stiff penalties for child ID theft
The full Senate gave approval to Senate Bill 312 on Monday, which would create harsher penalties for those who steal the identity of a person under the age of 18.
Further magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic, child identity theft has become a billion-dollar industry. Accord- ing to a 2018 child identity fraud study, more than a million children across America were victims of identity theft in 2017, resulting in $2.67 billion in losses and $540 million in out-of-pocket expenses for families.
Under the proposed measure, the penalty for child identity theft or fraud would be a felony punishable by either two to 10 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $100,000, or both a fine and prison time. Currently, the penalty for identity theft or fraud is a felony punishable by one to five years in prison, or a fine not to exceed $100,000.
The measure now moves to the state House for its consideration.
Vehicle title, lien bill approved in state Senate
A bill to modernize the process for filing and storing vehicle titles and liens has cleared the full Senate.
Senate Bill 998, by Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, was approved Monday.
“This is going to speed up the process for titles and liens by moving these records online,” Standridge said. “It’s going to make buying and selling vehicles more convenient and will even help owners get their permanent tags more quickly. It’s time to bring our state into the 21st century, and this is a part of that effort.”
Under SB 998, the Oklahoma Tax Commission would have until July 1, 2022 to implement the electronic filing, storage and delivery of titles and leans. Standridge said the bill has the support of OTC and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
The measure now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Wiretaps would target child predators
Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, has won unanimous Senate approval for legislation to give law enforcement another tool to fight child predators.
Senate Bill 980 would amend state law for obtaining a court order for a wiretap to include crimes related to child sexual exploitation.
Weaver said in the last 12 months alone, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit received 4,207 cybertip reports of child sexual exploitation. According to the OSBI, 3,681 of these tips involved child pornography, 194 were reports of online enticement of children for sexual acts and 39 reported child sex trafficking or child sex tourism.
SB 980 would amend Oklahoma’s Security of Communications Act to add child sexual exploitation, permitting child sexual exploitation, and soliciting sexual conduct or communication with a minor by use of technology to the crimes for which law enforcement can seek a court order authorizing the interception of wire, oral or electronic communications.
SB 980 now moves to the House for further consideration. Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, is the House sponsor of the bill.
—Compiled by Tim Farley, Southwest Ledger