OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — As the deadline to file House bills is quickly approaching, Oklahoma lawmakers are filing legislation that’s making headlines, such as a bill that would label Hispanic gang members “terrorists.”
Republican Representative JJ Humphrey (R-Lane) filed HB 3133 last week that singles out Hispanics.
The bill states any person who is of Hispanic descent and a member of a criminal street gang or has been convicted of a gang-related offense shall be deemed to have committed an act of terrorism.
“I’ve been down to the border several times, and we’re just seeing the massive overrun of our nation being invaded. One of the biggest problems are the cartels, the Mexican cartels,” stated Rep. Humphrey. “It’s not just the Hispanic gangs that we have a problem with. We do have Chinese nationals. We have other gangs that we have problems with. But right now, the big focus is on these two [Mexican] gangs that are mainly the ones being involved in trafficking and fentanyl, human trafficking and these other kinds of activities that we’re seeing related to the border.”
Rep. Humphrey said Chinese Nationals and Mexican cartels are to blame for Oklahoma’s fentanyl problem, and yet people of Chinese descent are not mentioned in the bill. Only people of Hispanic descent are listed.
Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) Public Information Officer Mark Woodward told KFOR both Mexican cartels and Chinese Nationals do play a big role in fentanyl distribution.
“All of the illicit fentanyl that’s absolutely responsible for this epidemic across the United States is coming in through the borders by the cartels and moved across through their pipelines around the U.S. But China is the world’s biggest exporter of fentanyl and fentanyl precursors. The Chinese are mass producing the precursors, and they ship them either directly into the U.S. where they’re purchased by cartels,” stated Woodward.
He said Mexican cartels are also cutting fentanyl into cocaine and methamphetamine.
According to OBN, 39 Oklahomans died from fentanyl in 2018. In 2022, that number skyrocketed to 619.
“It’s a scary direction we’re going,” added Woodward.
He told KFOR education, treatment, and enforcement would be a multi-pronged approach to fixing the fentanyl epidemic in Oklahoma.
News 4 asked Rep. Humphrey why Hispanics were the only ethnic group listed in the bill. He claims there was no ill intention with doing so.
“I apologize for just using the word Hispanic, but I was not wrong. Again, these are Hispanic. Reality is they are Hispanic. There’s nothing to be ashamed with,” said Rep. Humphrey.
Rep. Humphrey plans to change the language from ‘Hispanic’ to ‘undocumented illegals’ in the bill.
“What I’m asking for in this bill is to protect our state, protect the United States against what’s going on, on the border,” he said.
Senator Michael Brooks (D-OKC) said if Rep. Humphrey wants to address the larger issue of fentanyl in the state, then he should address it, but this bill is not how to do so.
“I think [Rep. Humphrey]… kind of has a history of filing outrageous bills. We can all go back and try and remember that he’s the one who came up with a bill to be able to issue hunting licenses for Sasquatches and for Bigfoot. As a result, I think oftentimes there are bills that are filed for kind of sensationalism,” stated Sen. Brooks.
He believes the intention of Rep. Humphrey’s bill was to be divisive.
“All groups have a constitutional right to due process and also a constitutional right not to be discriminated against or to be singled out,” said Sen. Brooks. “Nobody is in favor or I don’t think there’s an appetite anymore for more divisive politics. Personally, I think his constituents deserve better than this type of legislation.”
Sen. Brooks said this bill will likely not survive the 2024 regular legislative session.
“We need to stop drinking the poison on both sides of the aisle that caused these types of divisive bills to come up and to be seriously considered,” said Sen. Brooks.
The regular legislative sessions begins February 5.
