Three public safety bills authored by Representative John George won approval in the Oklahoma House on Tuesday. The bills range from increasing punishments for domestic assault and battery, increasing the maximum penalty for the crimes of assault and assault and battery, and creating a misdemeanor for people who refuse to provide space for an emergency responder.
House Bill 1594 makes a domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon the same level of crime for an assault and battery with a deadly weapon.
“We’ve almost downplayed domestic crimes and treated domestic victims as if they are less of a victim than those of other crimes,” George said. “This measure would correct that.”
The other measure dealing with assault and battery crimes is House Bill 1595. It increases the maximum penalty for assault to 90 days and for assault and battery to six months.
“The goal is to keep people who are willing to cause harm others out of the public for a significant period of time,” George said.
House Bill 1597 creates a misdemeanor if a person does not comply with a first responder performing their duties when he or she asks them to stay back at least 25 feet.
All three bills move to the Oklahoma Senate where they will be carried by Senator Darrell Weaver.
Both George and Weaver were law enforcement officials.
