Drummond Praises Gov. Stitt for Signing Crime-Fighting Bills Urges Signing of HB 4156

OKLAOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond today praised Gov. Stitt for signing two bills into law that are critical for cracking down on crime. Drummond also urged the Governor to take swift action in signing House Bill 4156, the immigration reform legislation Drummond called for weeks ago. 

House Bill 3642, authored by Rep. Toni Hasenbeck and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, expands the definition of “child pornography” to include computer generated or altered images of children being forced to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

“Our laws must be one step ahead of rapidly advancing technology to hold bad actors accountable and combat the evil that is child pornography,” the Attorney General said. “The revolution in artificial intelligence has an indisputable dark side, and it is important we close loopholes that would otherwise allow child predators to elude justice.”

Gov. Stitt also signed Senate Bill 1280, which makes the combination of fentanyl with any other controlled substance a felony punishable by up to life in prison and a minimum $50,000 fine. Authored by Sen. Darrell Weaver and Rep. Robert Manger, it also makes manufacturing a substance with 10 or more grams of fentanyl a crime of aggravated manufacturing.

“We must do everything in our power to combat this deadly fentanyl epidemic,” Drummond said. “Oklahoma knows all too well the devastating impact of how opioid addiction is wreaking havoc on our state. We must put laws into place to strengthen the consequences of contributing to this grave problem.”

Drummond lauded the Governor for his swift action and urged him to sign the anti-illegal immigration measure, HB 4156, when it reaches his desk.

“Law enforcement needs tools at its disposal to successfully eliminate Oklahoma’s numerous illegal marijuana grows and the other criminal activity that entails, including human trafficking and fentanyl distribution,” said Drummond. “In the wake of the Biden Administration’s abject refusal to secure the nation’s border and address the illegal immigration crisis, Mexican drug cartels and Chinese crime syndicates have taken root in our state. I urge Gov. Stitt to sign HB 4156 quickly so Oklahoma law enforcement can step in where the federal government has failed.”

Authored by House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate President Pro Tempore Treat, HB 4156 has passed both chambers of the state Legislature.