Communications & Public Affairs
February 26, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. David Perryman
Phone: (405) 557-7401

Dem Floor Leader Releases Statement on House Judiciary Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. David Perryman (D-Chickasha) released the following statement regarding today’s House Judiciary Committee meeting after the chairman of the committee chose to remove the title from all legislation dealing with criminal justice reform. By removing the title, legislation is not binding and can be changed before being introduced on the House Floor.

“Striking the title off of several pieces of legislation because they deal with criminal justice reform is unprecedented,” Perryman said. “Criminal justice reform in Oklahoma is no longer a partisan issue. Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives all see value in reforming our criminal justice system. Yet today, in 2019, we just had our last House Judiciary Committee meeting before the committee deadline, and we still don’t have one House criminal justice reform bill that has a title. The question has to be asked, what is keeping House Republican leadership from addressing this issue? Do they not understand the magnitude of problems facing our criminal justice system or do they simply not care?”

-30-