After racial justice protests, Oklahoma lawmakers push pro-police, anti-protest bills

Following the death of George Floyd, thousands of Oklahomans took to the streets last year to advocate for racial justice through a series of protests that were largely peaceful.

Instead of heeding calls for serious police reform and bringing more transparency to police misconduct, Oklahoma’s GOP-controlled Legislature this year is doubling down on its support for local law enforcement.

Some Republican legislators have also introduced measures to limit protests, including several bills that seek to protect drivers who hit protesters after demonstrators have increasingly swarmed roadways to paralyze traffic.

Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, criticized bills that would allow localities to establish ordinances for citizens to paint blue lines on streets as a show of support for law enforcement and make it illegal to post personal and threatening information about a law enforcement officer online, a practice known as doxxing.

Read more: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/09/after-racial-justice-protests-oklahoma-lawmakers-push-pro-police-anti-protest-bills/336286007/