The Oklahoma Senate has approved legislation to increase penalties for domestic abuse committed in the presence of a child.
Senate Bill 1238, authored by Oklahoma Senator Bill Coleman, passed Monday on a 42-3 vote. The measure would make a first offense of domestic abuse in the presence of a child a felony. Under current law, the first offense is treated as a misdemeanor.
“When domestic violence happens in front of a child, that child becomes a victim too,” Coleman said.
The legislation would increase the minimum penalty for a first conviction to one to five years in prison and allow fines of up to $7,000.
Coleman said the proposal grew out of an interim study he held last fall examining Oklahoma’s domestic violence crisis.
Senate Bill 1238 now moves to the House, where Oklahoma Representative John Pfeiffer is the House author.
