A measure recently filed in the House of Representatives would empower the Attorney General's Office to investigate and prosecute officer-involved civilian fatalities.
House Bill 1319, by state Rep. Mike Shelton, would give the Attorney General the discretion to open an investigation into any death in Oklahoma caused by a law-enforcement officer.
“This bill is a work in progress, but I hope that as the session moves along we can reach an agreement that will clearly articulate the jurisdiction of the Attorney General to intervene in these incidents that seem to be more and more commonplace," said Shelton, D-Oklahoma City. “The public deserves to know that an impartial, thorough investigation is going to be conducted when a law enforcement officer causes the death of a civilian. Not only does this safeguard the public, but it also reinforces the public trust in those empowered to serve and protect us."
Shelton said he filed the measure after the Cleveland County District Attorney decided to not file charges against police officers who were involved in the death of a Norman man outside the Warren Theater in Moore on Feb. 14, 2014. Luis Rodriguez, 44, died after he was restrained by officers responding to a domestic disturbance in the theater parking lot.
“What we are trying to do is remove the politics and personal biases from the hand of justice," said Shelton. “It is human nature to protect your own, and we have seen too often across this nation district attorneys who choose not to proceed with an investigation and potentially criminal charges when police officers are involved. This bill would take that decision out of their hands."
Saying he wants to get rid of politics and personal bias, Oklahoma state Rep. Mike Shelton has introduced legislation that would have the Attorney General's Office investigate and prosecute officer-involved civilian deaths.
House bill 1319 was filed to give the Attorney General discretion to open an investigation into any death in Oklahoma caused by a law-enforcement officer.
Sheldon says he wants an impartial, thorough investigation when a law enforcement officer causes the death of a civilian.
He filed the measure after Cleveland County District Attorney decided not to charge officers with the death of a Norman man Feb. 14, 2014.
“It is human nature to protect your own, and we have seen too often across this nation district attorneys who choose not to proceed with an investigation and potentially criminal charges when police officers are involved. This bill would take that decision out of their hands," he said.
Two other bills filed in the Senate and House would impact elected officials.
State rep. Paul Wesselhoft wants to extend term limits from 12 to 16 years. He claims that would give more experience to state legislators. The current term limits were approved by voters in 1990.
If his constitutional amendment passed both House and Senate, it would go to a vote of the people.
Senator David Holt has introduced a comprehensive election reform package of nine bills and one joint resolution, all intended to increase Oklahoma's rapidly declining voter turnout.  The concepts proposed by Holt include transitioning Oklahoma to mail elections and adoption of a ‚Äútop two" electoral system.
He said over 70 percent of eligible state voters participated in the 1992 presidential election. By 2012, that percentage dropped to only 52 percent. This past year, less than 30 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the November election.
Legislation introduced by Holt includes:
The following are summaries of each piece of legislation:
SB 310: Moves Oklahoma to a mail election in 2020 and beyond. All registered voters would receive ballot by mail and return it by mail or in person. Oklahoma would be the fourth state to adopt this growing trend. Reduces cost of machines and poll workers. Addresses growing concerns over how to staff precincts in the future.
SB 311: Creates a “top two" electoral system in Oklahoma. All candidates, including partisan labels, appear on ballot in August. If no candidate receives over 50 percent, top two advance to November.
SB 312: Consolidates all local candidate elections to a cycle in the spring or a cycle in the fall.
SB 313: Allows eligible citizens to securely register to vote online.
SB 314: Allows unregistered citizens who have missed the 25-day deadline for registration to register and vote if they appear in-person to the county election board during early voting.
SB 315: Allows absentee voters to request to be placed permanently on the absentee voter list, rather than the current practice of requiring an application each year
SB 316: Modernizes various aspects of absentee voting. Absentee voters could mail a copy of their ID rather than have their ballot notarized. Absentee voters may drop off ballot in person and show ID. Bureaucratic “in-person absentee" terminology is replaced by “early voting". System of separate forms for incapacitated absentee voters and no-excuses absentee voters is streamlined, though retaining the services offered to incapacitated voters.
SB 317: Expands and streamlines early voting. Adds Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons to early voting. Makes the hours of operation the same each day. Extends the same early voting opportunities to all elections for elective office.  
SB 318: Lowers the signatures required to get parties and presidential candidates on the ballot.
SJR 13: Gives the people of Oklahoma the opportunity to lower the signatures required to place issues on the ballot for consideration by the voters.