The upcoming legislative session brings with it new opportunities to reduce impaired driving and to prevent countless tragedies from playing out on our streets. VOID has been working on a new slate of bills during the interim which are ready to be filed by the filing deadline January 15, 2026.
This session we are addressing several loopholes that cause DUI’s to be filed as misdemeanors when they should be felonies. We have new legislation that will address anyone who gets arrested for DUI while they are out on bond for DUI, which believe it or not, is happening often. It takes so long to adjudicate DUI in some counties, that offenders are out driving while they are waiting and then they are arrested for DUI again. These new DUI arrests should be charged as felonies but are currently not able to be charged that way.
Another way people who are arrested for repeat DUI offenses are being charged with misdemeanors is through the 10-year lookback. We are working on legislation that will prevent any repeat DUI offenses from being downgraded to misdemeanors.
If you are familiar with the impaired driving landscape in Oklahoma, you already know that we have far too many repeat offenders driving on our roads. It is not uncommon to find someone who is arrested for the sixth, seventh or eighth DUI who have never been held accountable. A change to the law in 2019, allows for numerous misdemeanor deferred sentences and two felony deferred sentences. We want to limit the number of times a felony conviction results in a deferred or suspended sentence, so that offenders experiencing jail or prison time may actually be deterred from future criminal DUI decisions. And, if not, then at least the roads will be free from habitual impaired drivers for a time.
Many times, when people are injured in a DUI crash, the charges brought do not adequately address the ongoing recovery and future pain caused. Chronic health issues resulting from a crash are missed due to the inadequate definition of Great Bodily Injury. This is something we are hoping to change in the upcoming session.
We will also be working to see the Maddix Bias Act (BH1933) completed with a Senate Floor vote after being carried over from the 2025 legislative session. This bill will prevent the retail sales of Nitrous Oxide at convenience stores and vape store for “recreational” use.
Stay tuned for updates when bills are filed and start making their way through the legislature. Your support will be invaluable to these efforts. A simple email to your legislator, letting them know that you care about DUI legislation and want them to vote in support of these efforts, is the difference between success and failure.
