To the Editor:
Punish the poor — that appears to be the intent of Senate Bill 484, as recently introduced to the floor of the Oklahoma Senate. A cardinal rule is to begin with the text of the bill, with some edits, as introduced by Lisa Standridge (R-SD15): “[Except Tulsa and Oklahoma City, no city] shall provide programs or services to homeless persons including, but not limited to, owning or maintaining a homeless shelter.” SB484 § 1(B). “Homeless persons” is defined in § 1(A)(1) as, among other definitions, “those persons and families who do not have access to normal accommodations as a result of violence or the threat of violence from a cohabitant[.]” So, victims of domestic violence, regardless of their age, are prohibited from receiving any resources from their city, which, by the plain language of the statute, must include police or city-funded medical services.
What a morally reprehensible bill. I implore you to read this bill, using the official website of the Oklahoma Senate, and searching for “SB484.” It is short — only two pages — and the implications for the state are vast. The bill makes it illegal for virtually any Oklahoma city to provide any resources — water, medical, housing, food, social services, clothing, waiver of fines or fees, etc. — for any homeless person, for which there are four different definitions, and those definitions are much broader than we typically tend the word to mean.
On the one hand, this is government overreach at its core. This legislator is upset that her local city council will not ban their homeless advocacy programs, city councilors who are elected representatives of their local city, and chooses instead to use the long arm of the state to impose a draconian measure on every single city in Oklahoma, except for Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
Shame on you, Lisa Standridge. Shame on you. On the other hand, this bill is morally bankrupt. The definitions of homeless persons used in SB484 means that the determination of whether you are homeless is a nightly task, and that on the first night you become “homeless,” regardless of the reason, it becomes illegal for you to receive any resources, of any kind, and for whatever reason, from the city in which you live!
Ignoring this heavy-handed approach to legislation, I believe in compassion, loving my neighbor, and that when all else fails and you lose everything, I believe in giving you a helping hand. So, I say once again, shame on you, Lisa Standridge.
If you believe in basic human decency, then please join me in writing a letter to your state Senator and to your local Representative, telling them to vote no on SB484. If you are as fired up as me, then consider writing a letter to Senator Standridge, as well. You might need some help from your city someday, and this bill seeks to strip you of that assistance.
— Mitchell Jacob Newcastle
