Oklahoma
Oklahoma Senate passes bill to ban any ‘unauthorized camp’ on state land
A bill that critics say would effectively push homeless people off public rights-of-way and state-owned land passed the Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday, despite an impassioned plea by one senator who grilled the bill’s sponsor with questions for more than 15 minutes before the vote.
By a 37-6 vote, the Senate approved Senate Bill 1854, which was cast by its author, Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, as a safety issue. The bill now can be considered by the state House of Representatives.
The bill would prohibit any “unauthorized camp” – defined as “any tent, shelter, or bedding constructed or arranged for the purpose of or in such a way to permit overnight use on a property not designated as a campsite” – on public rights-of-way or state-owned lands.
The bill would subject violators to a misdemeanor charge, but says the first violation would be considered as a warning, “and a citation may not be issued unless the person refuses any assistance offered to them by the arresting officer. Such assistance may include, but is not limited to, transportation to a shelter, food pantry, or other place where resources are made available to assist the indigent and homeless.”
Weaver, a former director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control and an inductee into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Hall of Fame, had a back-and-forth exchange with Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, about the bill on the Senate floor. Kirt has a passion for addressing issues involving the homeless and served as a founding member and co-chair of the Legislative Mental Health Caucus.
“What I am concerned about is criminalizing someone who doesn’t have a home,” Kirt said. “That’s not solving our problem. We talk about moving someone across the street (to non-state-owned land) but that is still in our community. We’ve not solved the challenge that that individual is facing. This is written in a very broad manner that makes it difficult to analyze who would be impacted.”
She added: “What I see is we need to flip the way we’re approaching the challenge of people who are unsheltered. If somebody is sleeping under a bridge, they have nowhere else to sleep.”
Bill’s author says it won’t apply to local municipalities, only state-owned properties
Under questioning, Weaver said the bill won’t apply to municipalities in Oklahoma, only state-owned land, although he frequently referenced people staying near highway underpasses. He specifically mentioned people who often can be seen camping around Interstate 240 underpasses in south Oklahoma City.
“We’ve had a lot of challenges in our community, one of which is safety,” Weaver said. “This has to do with safety. This is not a ‘solve all the problem for homelessness.’ That’s not what the intent of this bill is. The intent of this bill is very specifically a safety issue when it comes to these roads and … where we have jurisdiction in this body, on state-owned lands. I don’t want no member to believe that this is going to solve our homelessness (issue).”
Weaver said, “At some point, even individuals that are homeless have some level of responsibility for the safety of themselves and the people around them. … It’s something we maybe don’t want to talk about, but it’s true.”
Asked how many people would be affected by the bill, Weaver said he didn’t specifically know, saying only “several.”
According to the annual “point in time” count in Oklahoma City in 2023, the city had 1,436 homeless people counted, up about 100 from the 2022 count. About 20% of that number are families with children, about 9% are military veterans, about 28% are considered chronically homeless and 31% are unsheltered. Kirt said homeless people often wouldn’t have the financial resources to pay any fine that might be levied if the bill becomes law.
“As a general rule, criminalizing homelessness is counterproductive,” said Dan Straughan, the executive director of the Homeless Alliance in Oklahoma City. “Misdemeanors generate fines that people experiencing homelessness can’t easily pay, which leads to a failure to appear in court, which leads to needless bench warrants. All this to say, making the infraction a misdemeanor doesn’t really prevent it from leading to jail time. Once an individual has entered the criminal justice system, that creates yet another barrier to getting back into housing. Housing is the proper response to homelessness. Needless fines are simply a step backward.”
The six senators who voted against the bill included five Democrats – Kirt, Kay Floyd of Oklahoma City, Jo Anna Dossett of Tulsa, George Young of Oklahoma City and Kevin Matthews of Tulsa – along with Republican Dave Rader of Tulsa.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) — Oklahoma lawmakers have voted to honor country music artist and Oklahoma native Toby Keith.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 recognizes Keith’s lasting impact on music and proposes renaming a planned turnpike in his memory.
The concurrent resolution was authored by Rep. Jason Blair, R-Morgan, and Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman.
The planned route will extend from Interstate 44 east to Interstate 35, then continue east and north to I-40 at the Kickapoo Turnpike.
Copyright 2026 KSWO. All rights reserved.
Governor Kevin Stitt has said he wants the State Superintendent of Education to be a governor-elected position instead of an elected one. Political analyst Scott Mitchell examines what this would mean for the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would make the state superintendent an appointed position, as he named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to the role and announced a turnaround team to help implement his education agenda.
Is the State Superintendent an elected role?
Yes, the State Superintendent of Education is still an elected role. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Cons of making the superintendent an appointed position
Mitchell said making this position appointed could cause distrust among some Oklahomans
“Over the years, we’ve seen that capture of regulatory sort of is easy to do when you have term limits, then lobbies become more powerful, and they have all the history. It’s very complicated.
He also said if the position were to be elected, they would likely have the same agenda as the governor.
“Yes, and I think the governor would be absolutely saying, ‘Yes, they’re going to do what I want them to do.’”
Changing how the superintendent is chosen changes what the founding fathers set.
“Voters are going to have to say yay or nay if it gets to them, is whether or not we want to change the way that the founding fathers set up the way that we make sure that power is not concentrated in Oklahoma,” he said.
Is Ryan Walters’ term the reason Stitt wants to make this position appointed?
Mitchell said he believes the former State Superintendent played a role in the government wanting to appoint this position.
During his time as superintendent, Walters was known to have multiple controversies. He resigned in 2025, allowing Stitt to appoint Lindel Fields.
“His impact on this, even though he’s gone, is certainly evident,” said Mitchell. “Walters left midstream, right? And so the governor had a chance to appoint someone. Well, it wasn’t just an appointment; it was chaos before and relative calm and competency after. And that has given the governor an opening for people to see with their own eyes. Yeah, you can put somebody in, we’re talking about Lindel Fields, that appears to get up every day, not trying to find some, get a click on social media, but rather to do his job. And across the board, for the most part, this guy’s getting thumbs up.
Stitt said electing Fields has already given him some leverage since he has been well perceived so far.
“That allows a governor to say, Look, I’ve got some standing, some leverage to go to the voters and say, let’s put expertise as the main reason that a person’s there, not because they were able to win an election because they had some sort of populist or dramatic ideas.”
Who is running for Oklahoma State Superintendent?
Republican Ballot
- Sen. Adam Pugh
- John Cox
- Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
- Ana Landsaw
Democrat Ballot
- Craig Mcvay
- Jennettie Marshall
Independent
To learn more about each candidate, click here.
A full breakdown of candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma State Superintendent race, including party affiliation, background and key education priorities.
An Oklahoma highway could soon be named after the late country superstar, Toby Keith, pending new legislation.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 would rename a proposed turnpike project the “Toby Keith Expressway.” This roadway is set to be built from Interstate 44 East to Interstate-35, continuing East and North to Interstate 40. This road is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma Long-Range Plan, which is meant to update and expand the state’s turnpike system.
This resolution was adopted by the House on Wednesday.
“Toby Keith was more than a country music star. He was a proud Oklahoman who never forgot where he came from,” said Rep. Jason Blair, R-Moore. “Naming this turnpike in his honor is a fitting way to recognize a man who represented our state with ultimate patriotism and generosity.”
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, raised in Moore and resided in Norman. He died on February 5, 2024, in a battle with cancer.
“Over the course of his legendary career, Toby Keith never forgot where he came from or what he stood for,” said Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. “His Oklahoma roots shaped him, and his love of America defined him. He was a country music superstar and a true patriot. I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by naming this future stretch of Norman turnpike in his honor, creating a lasting tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.”
During his career, Keith sold over 40 million records and more than 20 number-one singles
Legislation authors believe this would commemorate the life and legacy of Toby Keith.
The bill will now head to the Senate.
To read the full House Resolution, click here.
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