Sen. Lisa Standridge has asked the state to clear tents in Norman three times. She has also sought to move dozens of unhoused residents to Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma troopers returned to Norman for a second Operation SAFE sweep, displacing dozens of people who say they have nowhere else to go. The eviction came as the state threatened to bill Tulsa and Oklahoma City for the costs of clearing encampments.
Interim studies will examine whether courts are providing constitutionally required bail hearings and whether the state has enough resources to expand pretrial release programs.
Public defenders say judges routinely fail to consider whether defendants can afford bail, leaving poor and homeless people jailed on low-level charges. Other counties have already faced civil rights lawsuits.
Supporters of a county pretrial release program say thousands of people who pose little public safety risk remain jailed because they can’t afford bail. Prosecutors frequently oppose release, even though the program is designed to help people show up to court.
The sweep displaced dozens and gave local shelters and other service providers little time to prepare.
The hotlines have relied on private donations for years after an economic downturn led to budget cuts.
New data shows overall homelessness dipped slightly for the first time since 2018, even as more families with children and unaccompanied youth fall into crisis.
