TULSA, Okla. — Gov. Kevin Stitt again finds himself at odds with the majority of the Oklahoma State Legislature over a bill meant to provide more leniency if a sexual or domestic abuse victim commits a crime against their aggressor.
SB 1470, AKA The Oklahoma Survivors' Act, passed the state house with only three votes against and passed the senate unanimously before Gov. Stitt vetoed it on April 23.
On April 24, the State Senate voted 45-1 to override the veto. Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) was the only' No' vote.
- Previous coverage >>> Proposed bills aim to protect domestic abuse survivors
The governor clarified the veto in a statement by saying, ‘Untold numbers of violent individuals who are or will be incarcerated will have greater opportunity to present a threat to society due to this bill’s impact," meaning he believes it would present a slippery slope that allows someone to use their abuse as justification for committing a crime against someone else.
The Oklahoma District Attorneys Association praised the governor for taking a stand against it, saying in part quote, ‘A drunk driver who killed an individual would have the opportunity to argue for mandatory sentencing reduction if his alcoholism was attributable to some prior abuse...We appreciate Governor Stitt for recognizing that the loopholes in SB 1470 corrupted the intent of the act.”
The veto left the bill’s proponents in the advocacy field stunned, including from the Oklahoma Survivor Justice Coalition, which is part of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice. The group said Stitt completely misunderstood what the bill actually does.
“That's not what we're talking about, and that's not what this bill would do," Oklahoma Appleseed Legal Director Leslie Briggs said. "And I think the governor was misled to believe that that's what this bill would do.”
Briggs said the bill was years in the making and did not have any concerning loopholes.
“(Oklahoma has) been in the top 10 for the rate of domestic violence for a long time. This policy would have been a bellwether, a statement that we're working to reverse that, that we're taking that seriously and that we find it unacceptable,” Briggs said.
Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat criticized the governor while on the Senate floor on April 24.
“(The governor's office) hasn’t once approached us," Sen. Treat said. "They haven’t once engaged on this bill. This is a very important bill.”
Briggs argues the only loser from this legislative fight can be abuse survivors.
“I hope the legislature gives the governor a chance to correct what I believe is – he’s been misled. I believe that he has bad information,” Briggs said.
Oklahoma District Attorneys Association did not respond to 2 News' request for an interview.
The override vote now heads to the State House. There, it will also need a two-third majority vote to officially overrule the governor’s veto.
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