Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a reclassification of several domestic abuse charges as violent crimes, even though a criminal justice reform ballot measure threatens to mitigate its effects, reports Courthouse News Service. Stitt signed a bill that expands the definition of a violent crime to include “domestic abuse by strangulation, domestic assault with a dangerous weapon, domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, or domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon.” The reclassification subjects offenders to higher sentencing enhancements. The Oklahoma Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault thanked Stitt.
Critics of the law have questioned whether it conflicts with State Question 805, a criminal justice reform ballot measure supported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform. The measure seeks to ban sentence enhancements for all crimes not considered violent on Jan. 1 of this year. Yes on 805 has collected over 260,000 signatures to get the measure on the November ballot but Republican Secretary of State Michael Rogers halted signature collections on March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 178,000 signatures are required to get such a question on the ballot. If the proposition is approved by voters, it would create a situation where habitual domestic abuse convicts would not be able to have their sentences enhanced because the new law took effect after Jan. 1.