Attorney General Gentner Drummond praised the Oklahoma Legislature on Mar. 26 for passing two bills that would impose new restrictions on driving under the influence (DUI) offenders.
The passage of House Bill 3114 and Senate Bill 137 comes after public concern about the early release of a DUI offender who caused severe injury. The legislation aims to prevent prison inmates convicted of DUI offenses resulting in great bodily harm from being released through the Department of Corrections’ Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Surveillance Program.
Both bills, authored by Representative Jonathan Wilk and Senator Warren Hamilton, would also require removal from the GPS program for anyone found ineligible under these new rules. “Any drunk driver who severely injures an innocent person should face consequences that fit the gravity of their crime,” Drummond said. “I appreciate the work that Rep. Wilk and Sen. Hamilton put into these bills, and I appreciate the House and the Senate for voting to pass their respective versions of the bills.”
The measures were introduced following controversy over last month’s decision by corrections officials to release Sara Polston after she served only 73 days out of an eight-year sentence for a DUI crash that nearly killed Micaela Borrego in 2023. Borrego suffered brain damage and continues to live with significant injuries as a result.
Senate Bill 137 passed with a vote of 37-8 in the Senate and now moves to the House, while House Bill 3114 was approved by a vote of 92-2 in the House and proceeds to consideration by the Senate.
Drummond leads efforts at combating crime, promoting government transparency, strengthening tribal relations, supporting energy sector policies, educational safeguards, tougher laws on crimes such as rape or drug distribution, and collaborating with state and federal partners against organized crime according to his official biography. The Attorney General operates within public legal services based in Oklahoma.
