Happy New Year from the Program Committee

Emily Davis News

2016 is going to be a busy year for League members as we work to educate and engage voters. The leaders we elect make the decisions that affect all of us- our jobs, health care, energy costs, security, and more.  During the coming year your Tulsa Program Committee will be preparing discussion topics for the League’s monthly Unit Meetings.  These topics will help us get to know the issues and be informed voters. So…

Get Involved. Be in the Know.  Join us at one of our Unit Meetings.  Educated and informed voters are the key to our democracy.  The meeting dates and study materials may be found below.

 

The North Tulsa Unit continues its year-long study, “Re-Entry into Society after Prison”. The topic for January is “Employment Barriers”. This unit will meet Monday, January 25, (the 4th Monday of the month) noon to 1:00 pm, at the Rudisill Library, 1520 N. Hartford.

Join the discussion.

 

The Breakfast and Midtown Units are discussing State Senator Kyle Loveless’ Senate Bill 838. This bill is titled, “Asset Forfeiture, Creating the Personal Asset Protection Act, modifying procedures for forfeiture of certain property”.

Midday Unit: Tuesday, January 19, 11:30 to 1 pm. Meetings are on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the League office, 3336 E. 32nd. Lunch and visitation start at 11:30 (bring your own sandwich). Meeting is at 12:00 pm.

Breakfast Unit: Tuesday, January 26, 7 to 8 am. Meetings are on the 4th Tuesday of the month at the New Atlas Grill, located in the Courtyard Tulsa downtown, 415 S. Boston Ave.

 

Study materials include 3 articles. Two of these articles were in the Tulsa World on November 8, 2015. In these articles Senator Loveless and Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler each give their best arguments for and against SB838.

Tulsa voter Newsletter -2015-11-08-LovelessForeiture

Tulsa Voter Newsletter -2015-11-08-KunzweilerForfeiture

As the Tulsa World says, “The proposal raises the burden of proof on prosecutors and police seeking to seize money suspected of being part of drug trafficking.

Senator Loveless says this bill is a matter of justice and protects people who have their money taken without adequate proof.

Prosecutors and police argue that the current system protects the rights of innocent people while taking assets away from drug dealers.

Since introduced, the proposal has been the subject of public hearings, debate and many newspaper articles.”

The third article is from OK Policy. It answers the question, “Why unlikely allies (OK Policy Institute, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma) want to reform Oklahoma’s civil asset forfeiture law”.

http://okpolicy.org/why-unlikely-allies-want-to-reform-oklahomas-civil-asset-forfeiture-law

Discussion Questions:

What are the arguments for and against the state’s civil asset forfeiture law?
Do police seize innocent people’s assets?
What are your thoughts about SB 838?