OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A state senator who says he was trying to protect law enforcement has instead come under fire from people who think he's trying to ban hoodies in Oklahoma.
Republican Sen. Don Barrington of Lawton says his office has been flooded with calls and emails since stories began circulating on social media about a bill he introduced ahead of the upcoming legislative session.
Barrington's bill doesn't mention hoodies, but would make it illegal for someone to conceal his or her identity in public by using a "robe, mask, or other disguise." The language would amend a section of law originally targeting the Ku Klux Klan.
He says he was prompted in part by mask-wearing protesters who rallied at the Capitol in recent years and caused problems for security.