OKLAHOMA, USA — A bill looking to pause all death penalty cases in the state was passed by the Oklahoma House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, 4-0, on Feb. 28.
HB 3138 was first introduced on Jan. 6 and cited as the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2024. At the second session of the 59th Legislature in 2024 on Wednesday, the bill was now being referred to as the Death Penalty Moratorium Act.
The bill is sponsored by Republican state Rep. Kevin McDugle, a supporter of the death penalty. But, McDugle said in October that he is increasingly concerned about the possibility of an innocent person being put to death.
Not only would this measure set a five-year moratorium on the death penalty for current cases, but Oklahoma courts would also be prohibited from imposing additional death penalty sentences.
During the five-year moratorium, there would be a Death Penalty Reform Task Force, which consists of five appointment members, to "study and report on the progress of implementing reforms to the use of the death penalty in this state."
Each political member would appoint one member:
- Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
- Minority Leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives
- President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate
- Minority Leader of the Oklahoma State Senate
- Oklahoma Governor
The task force must submit a yearly report starting Nov. 20, 2025, until Nov. 30, 2029.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.