POLITICAL ROUNDUP: Death penalty moratorium has bipartisan support

Mar. 14—Local lawmakers are responding to a bill that would place a moratorium on executions in Oklahoma.

House Bill 3138, authored by Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, would establish a five-person Death Penalty reform Task Force with members appointed by legislative leaders and the governor.

The measure calls for executions to be halted until November 2029, though an amendment could move the deadline to 2026.

Rep. Jared Deck, D-Norman, said the bill will vacate all execution dates until further action by the legislature.

"It also creates and mandates a task force to create reports describing in detail the degree to which recommendations of the 2017 report of the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission have been or have not been put into effect in the state," Deck said, who co-authored the bill.

He said he signed on to put pressure on legislative and executive branches to take action on recommendations made seven years ago.

"With our history of problems carrying out the execution process and our history of wrongful convictions, pressing pause is the very least we should do. This bill is a step toward reevaluation of the means by which we have seen such tragic ends," Deck said.

Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, has not yet taken a position because the bill has been amended many times, and he would like to first see the final verbiage in the house bill before deciding on whether to support it.

"Based on the pending Glossip case and others I can understand why some legislators want to pursue this. At this point I lean more towards making sure defendants have every opportunity to appeal their case, as my heart is primarily with the victims," Standridge said. "I signed numerous letters requesting the governor and others to take another look at the Glossip case, not that I was expressing my opinion on guilt or innocence, but that the outcome of the case seems patently unfair."

Richard Glossip received the death penalty on two occasions after he was convicted of killing Oklahoma City motel owner Barry Van Tresse.

Glossip was sentenced based on evidence given by Justin Sneed, the for-hire killer, whose mental health condition was withheld at the hearing.

Standridge said he supports the death penalty, so long as it is done correctly.

"I would definitely be supportive of having a task force to relook at what crimes result in the death penalty, and in looking at the Glossip case, are these the types of heinous crimes that citizens expect to result in the death penalty." Standridge said. "Certainly, murder is the worst crime, but I believe most citizens believe the death penalty is reserved for the most heinous of these."

The bill passed its House committee and will go onto the full chamber. Deck said he thinks it could pass.

"The bill has bipartisan support, but the underlying question is whether the Legislature has the political will to do what's right in an election year," Deck said.

Standridge said most Republicans support the death penalty, but the Glossip case has changed attitudes on how the state executes executions.

"The Glossip case, and others, I believe cause many death penalty supporters like myself to question whether we are utilizing this most extreme of punishments for the worst offenders of all," Standridge said.

Deck said the bill has the ability to unite those who favor or disfavor the death penalty.

"While the principal author is a proponent of the death penalty and I, as a coauthor, am an opponent of the death penalty, we agree that the stakes are too high to get even one case wrong and H.B. 3138 provides an opportunity to assess the entire process and its efficacy," Deck said.

Standridge said the Oklahoma's executive branch needs to look closely at the death penalty process to ensure that past mistakes aren't made.

"There has been controversy over the carrying out of the death penalty in Oklahoma, and we must make sure whatever procedure among those available that is chosen is carried out in the best possible manner," he said.

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.