Oklahoma House members passed a measure Wednesday to ensure strict penalties when a police officer is killed.
House Bill 1306, titled the Blue Lives Matter in Oklahoma Act of 2017, says people convicted of or pleading no contest to first-degree murder of an officer shall get the death penalty or life without parole unless there’s an "overwhelming amount of mitigating evidence."
Rep. Casey Murdock told his colleagues while the bill was being heard the intent is for the death penalty to be preferred in such cases. A previous version mandated only the death penalty.
Rep. Regina Goodwin questioned the bill title’s similarity to Black Lives Matter and why officers shouldn’t face similar consequences for killing innocent civilians.
"So, we're all created equal, just I think what you're telling me with this bill is that some folks are more equal. That's all I can get out of this bill when I see us pressing toward the death penalty," Goodwin said.
Murdock told his colleagues the bill’s title is not intended to be a take on Black Lives Matter and therefore not meant to be political.
Rep. Forrest Bennett told Murdock the three inmates currently in Oklahoma prisons for killing officers are serving life without parole.
"I understand that you want to send a message with this, but would you agree that Oklahoma's criminal justice system is already pretty predisposed to give the maximum penalty to criminals of this degree?" Bennett said.
"No," Murdock said.
Rep. Emily Virgin asked Murdock whether putting those sentences into law is appropriate.
"Wouldn't you agree that this is mistrusting of the citizens who serve on juries to impose the sentences that they feel are necessary and appropriate after hearing all the facts of a case?" Virgin said.
"No," Murdock said.
HB1306 passed 73–21.
