Oklahoma
Oklahoma's Own In Focus: HB 2946 Hopes To Lengthen Time Served For Criminals
There’s a bill making its way through the state House that would require anyone convicted of accessory to murder in the first or second degree to serve 85 percent of their prison sentence.
House Bill 2946 is named in honor of 16-year-olds Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman. The pair were kidnapped from a home in Welch, Okla., in December 1999 and presumed killed.
State Rep. Steve Bashore (R-Miami) said he filed the bill because the man who pleaded guilty in their case, Ronnie Busick, was released after only a few years.
Related Story: ‘Let’s Get Something Done’: Senate Bill Filed In Honor Of Missing Welch Girls
Bashore said, at the very least, the bill would ensure criminals like Busick would have to serve more of their actual time and not earn credits toward an early release.
The family of Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman pushed for the bill.
Lauria and Ashley’s families say Busick’s early release was like a punch to the gut.
Lorene Bible has never given up fighting for her daughter, Lauria.
“I started talking about her the minute she disappeared, and I’ve not stopped since,” Bible said.
Related Story: Family Furious After Man Convicted In Welch Girls’ Disappearance Gets Early Prison Release
She has no plans of stopping either, even after the only man convicted in her daughter’s case got out of prison early for what corrections officials call ‘good behavior.’
“When we found out that Ronnie Busick was getting released, that brought up another storm,” Bible said.
A storm they’ve lived through for 24 years.
Lauria was at a sleepover with her friend Ashley in 1999 when the pair were kidnapped. The teens still haven’t been found.
“All that goes through my mind every day, 24 hours a day if she’s alive, is she eating? Is she cold? Is she freezing to death? How is she being treated,” Bible said.
Something else on her mind these days is making a bigger impact – a change to sentencing requirements. That’s what Lauria and Ashley’s Law would do.
Anyone convicted of accessory to murder in the first or second degree would have to serve 85 percent of their sentence. They also wouldn’t be able to earn any type of credit that would reduce their sentence below 85 percent.
Related Story: DA Calls For Change After Man Convicted In Disappearance Of Welch Girls Gets Early Prison Release
“We’re out to make sure nothing like this can ever happen again to another family because it’s a nightmare,” Bible said.
Now that the bill has made it out of committee, it is ready for consideration by the full House. If passed, it would go into effect on Nov. 1.
Since Oklahoma became a state, there’s been a law in place to give prisoners credits that reduce their sentences, so they rarely serve their sentences in full.
Prisoners get credit for the time they spent in the county jail and once they get to prison, they get credits for taking classes, having a job, maintaining good hygiene, a clean cell and having a good attitude with staff and other prisoners.
Level 1 prisoners get zero credits. That’s people on death row or who have escaped.
Most everyone starts at Level 2, earning 22 days of credit a month.
Level 3 earns 33 days a month.
Level 4, 44 days each month.
Enhanced Level 3 is 45 days and Enhanced Level 4 is 60 days credit for every 30 served.
So, if you’re on Level 2 and have a 10-year sentence, you’re released after 5.8 years.
On the advanced level, for a 10-year sentence, you’re out in 3.5 years.
The Department of Corrections does not consider that early release. It considers it time served based on the law.
If a prisoner has infractions or breaks the rules, they can lose credit.
News On 6 did find some instances of light sentences for accessory.
Tyler Reece was charged with accessory to murder in Osage County in 2020 and pleaded guilty to accessory to a felony and was sentenced to one year in the county jail and 10 years of probation.
Josiah Sklar was convicted of accessory after murder when a woman was beaten to death in Tulsa County in 2013.
He was given two years probation.
News On 6 found other sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years for accessory to murder.
The legislation at the center of our story has a long way to go before it’s law.
It now goes to the full House and if it passes there the legislation heads over to the Senate.
Lawmakers are in session until May.
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.
After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.
Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.
The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.
Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.
Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.
The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.
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