Julie Daniels
Julie Daniels | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the Oklahoma Senate | |
| Assumed office December 2022 | |
| Preceded by | James Leewright |
| Assistant Majority Whip of the Oklahoma Senate | |
| In office unknown – December 2022 | |
| Succeeded by | Bill Coleman |
| Member of the Oklahoma Senate from the 29th district | |
| Assumed office November 17, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | John Ford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 12, 1954 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Charlie |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Oklahoma University of Tulsa College of Law |
Julie Daniels (born February 12, 1954) is an American politician who has served in the Oklahoma Senate from the 29th district since 2016.[1][2]
She was re-elected by default in 2020.[3]
Oklahoma Senate
OK Domestic Violence Survivorship Act
In 2023, Julie Daniels became the Senate author on House Bill 1639[4] introduced by Representative Toni Hasenbeck after a mid-September 2022 Oklahoma House interim study, where criminalized survivor April Wilkens's story and others were used to explain the need for new legislation that could give second look resentencing to many currently in Oklahoma prisons.[5][6][7][8][9] A similar bill was passed in California.[10] Hasenbeck filed HB 1639 in January 2023 as a bill that "would allow a survivor to enter into a lesser sentencing range when evidence of abuse has been substantiated."[11] It "offers nuance in sentencing."[12] and was originally called the Universal Defense Act.[13] On March 1st, 2023, the bill passed out of the Oklahoma House Judiciary—Criminal Committee unanimously. The Sentencing Project thanked the members for passing the bill out of committee.[14][15] The committee members included Rande Worthen (chair), John George, Collin Dule, Jason Lowe, Stan May, Lonnie Sims, and Judd Strom.[16] After the bill passed committee, Wilkens was quoted as saying on a phone interview that “So many women in prison with me here have told me just chilling stories about the abuse they’ve suffered too before coming here."[17] Before and after the bill passed committee, advocates for HB 1639 visited the capitol to speak with legislators and conduct art projects.[18][19] Though the bill passed committee, Hasenbeck did strike the title on the bill, which allows changes to be made to the language, so who this applies to is not finalized.[20] The bill was voted on in the House on March 22, 2023 and passed with a 91-0 vote. However, the retroactivity language of the bill was removed. Representative Cyndi Munson questioned why and Hasenbeck replied it was due to needing to make concessions to move the bill forward for a vote,[21] which is controlled by the Majority Floor Leader, Jon Echols. Mother Jones reported that it was to "make the bill more palatable to other Republicans." [22] The Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice released a statement asking the Senate to add retroactivity back in and saying that often the prosecution of current criminalized survivors tries "to keep out the evidence of the abuse because it was prejudicial to their cases." They were "told the Oklahoma House leadership would not hear a bill on the floor that provided 'retroactive relief' to people in prison. They were, however, amenable to prospective relief for survivors who have yet to enter the justice system [and that] the prosecution and extreme sentencing of survivors is a problem, but [Oklahoma] will only commit to fixing that problem going forward."[23]
It is estimated that, if retroactivity is added back into the bill, it could help 100 to 500 women. Data from the "Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice shows from over 40,000 domestic violence calls in Oklahoma County in 2021, fewer than 1,000 arrests were made. Additionally, a study by FWD.us shows 66% of women in Oklahoma prisons experienced intimate partner violence within a year of their incarceration."[24][25] The Oklahoma attorney general seems supportive of solutions the bill attempts to address.[26] Hasenbeck has said “For whatever reason women have this problem in the court system that they end up with larger prison sentences then typically the men that were producing the acts to lead to the final act."[27] At least 156 women at Mabel Bassett wrote "letters claiming to have experienced intimate partner violence at the time their crime was committed."[28] Colleen McCarty, with Oklahoma Appleseed, says that legislation is necessary because the parole process has not helped April Wilkens and other women.[29] Wilkens, for example, has never been able to "use the evidence of her domestic abuse in her appeal for early release."[30] The Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice released a statement asking the Senate to add retroactivity back in and saying that often the prosecution of current criminalized survivors tries "to keep out the evidence of the abuse because it was prejudicial to their cases."[23]
References
- ^ "Daniels announces state Senate bid". Examiner-enterprise.com. 2015-06-21. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ "Senator Julie Daniels - District 29". Oksenate.gov. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
- ^ Savage, Tres (2020). "More than 40 Oklahoma legislators re-elected by default". NonDoc.
- ^ "Bill Information for HB 1639". 2023.
- ^ Krehbiel, Randy (14 September 2022). "Fighting back often lands domestic violence targets in jail, legislative panel told". Tulsa World.
- ^ "Interim Study 22-019: Criminalized Domestic Violence Survivors" (PDF). 2022.
- ^ "OK House Studies Criminalized Survivorship". 2022.
- ^ "Advocates seek to stop criminalizing domestic abuse survivors". Enid News & Eagle. 2022.
- ^ "When moms fight back: Stories from the Capitol". VNN. 2022.
- ^ Tulsa's NewsChannel 8 (27 February 2023). "Abuse survivor trying to change domestic violence laws".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Harlow, Brittany (18 February 2023). "Legislation to help criminalized survivors get justice filed in Oklahoma". VNN.
- ^ Marshall, Paula (18 February 2023). "Opinion: Domestic violence is at root of why many women are sent to Oklahoma prisons". Tulsa World.
- ^ Rose, Brenna (17 February 2023). "Oklahoma Domestic Abuse Survivorship Act introduced in House".
- ^ Cruz, Natalie (1 March 2023). "OKLAHOMA HOUSE VOTES TO PASS DOMESTIC ABUSE SURVIVORS SENTENCING BILL". News on 6.
- ^ "Oklahoma lawmakers push forward new bill surrounding domestic abuse cases". KOCO. 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Judiciary - Criminal".
- ^ Rose, Brenna (1 March 2023). "Oklahoma bill to reduce sentences for convicted domestic abuse survivors clears hurdle". KTUL.
- ^ "Video: Okla. lawmakers considering bill lowering sentences for abuse victims". Fox 23. 1 March 2023.
- ^ "The Survivor Voices Project: Listen to their courageous stories". Fox 23. 3 March 2023.
- ^ "Bill to reduce sentences for convicted domestic abuse victims passes through Oklahoma House committee". Oklahoma News 4. 1 March 2023.
- ^ "House of Representatives First Regular Session of the 59th Legislature Day 27 Morning Session (11:42:50)". 22 March 2023.
- ^ Michaels, Samantha (2023). "Oklahoma Lawmakers Are Watering Down a Bill That's Supposed to Help Domestic Violence Survivors". Mother Jones.
- ^ a b "HB 1639 PASSED THE OK HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY–BUT WHO IS LEFT BEHIND?". 23 March 2023.
- ^ France, Hannah (21 March 2023). "Criminalized survivors of domestic violence in Oklahoma may see relief from proposed bill". KOSU.
- ^ "Criminalized survivors of domestic violence may see relief from proposed bill". KGOU.
- ^ "'Very discouraging': Attorney General Drummond on domestic violence in Oklahoma". KTUL. 10 February 2023.
- ^ Rose, Brenna (4 February 2023). "'It would mean that they finally believe us': New bill targets domestic abuse survivors". KTUL.
- ^ Rose, Brenna (2022). "Survived and Sentenced: Are Oklahoma's laws failing domestic violence survivors?". KTUL.
- ^ "Survivor Justice Days: OK Appleseed advocating for 'Daughters of Okla.'". Fox 23. 1 March 2023.
- ^ Felder, Ben (1 March 2023). "She killed her abuser. An Oklahoma House committee passed a bill that could set her free". The Oklahoman.
 | This article about an Oklahoma politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |