OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ross Ford, RBroken Arrow, passed six bills in the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee. The bills now await consideration to be heard by the full membership of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
House Bill 1322 would create a Persistent Domestic Violence Offenders Registry available online to the public. Anyone convicted in Oklahoma of a second domestic violence offense after Jan. 1, 2027, would be registered through district court clerks on the registry created and maintained by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
House Bill 4104 would add three crimes to the list of those that require registry as a sex offender: second and subsequent offense of watching, gazing or looking upon a person in a clandestine manner for prurient interests; using photographic, electronic or video equipment in clandestine manner for prurient interests; and second or subsequent offense of using such means to capture images of a private area without consent.
'Domestic violence and sex offense crimes are the most repugnant to our society,' Ford said. 'The public deserves to made aware of when such criminals are in our midst. The hope, of course, is to deter such crimes in the first place.'
House Bill 4105 would exclude from the definition of 'security guard' any person operating unarmed or contracted as an usher queue agent, ticket agent, gate agent, credential verification agent or similar role for any event, concert, festival or sporting event.
Ford said the measure is a simple clarification of law.
House Bill 4106 would lower the threshold amount for grand larceny from $1,000 to $900. Additionally, a third offense of petty larceny would become a felony offense.
Ford said since voters originally voted to increase the threshold for grand larceny from $500 to $1,000 10 years ago, retail theft has increased exponentially.
'Professional criminals know the threshold amount and consider the fines involved just part of doing business,' Ford said. 'While this is a small step to reduce petty larceny, it’s a move in the right direction.'
House Bill 4107 would make it unlawful to tamper with, activate, attempt to activate or cause to be activated an outdoor warning siren without proper authorization. Punishment would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in the county jail or both.