Oklahoma legislators are taking another run at eviction reform after witnessing the state’s brutal eviction process firsthand and seeing its devastating impact on schoolchildren.
Rep. Ellen Pogemiller and Rep. Daniel Pae recently attended eviction court in Oklahoma County, where about 160 cases churned through in a single session. Most tenants appeared without attorneys, facing lawyers representing landlords, and many learned they would be locked out by sheriffs in as little as 72 hours.
What’s driving the renewed legislative push is an Impact Tulsa study showing high rates of chronic absenteeism among families who’ve been evicted, with pre-K and kindergartners facing the highest eviction rates. The connection between housing instability and educational outcomes has become impossible to ignore in a state ranked sixth nationally in evictions.
Pogemiller is crafting legislation to fund attorneys for families with school-age children facing eviction. Pae is working on anti-retaliation protections for tenants who complain about needed repairs; Oklahoma is one of only six states without such provisions. He’s also proposing changes to exclude holidays and weekends from eviction timelines.
Both legislators faced defeat last year. Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have extended eviction timelines, claiming it would discourage landlords from renting to low-income households. Pogemiller’s bill to raise filing fees from $50 to $100 also failed.
Meanwhile, families like Eboney Mitchell’s are spending Christmas homeless despite paying the demanded rent. Mental health advocates warn that the trauma creates lasting adverse childhood experiences that impact education, health, and future well-being.
Read Ben Fenwick’s story at Oklahoma Watch to understand how Oklahoma’s eviction crisis is creating a generation of traumatized students.
More worth reading:
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Another Leadership Change at OMES
Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed Oklahoma Tax Commissioner Mark Wood to be the director of OMES, an agency that serves as the backbone of state government resources. Longtime Internal Revenue Service official Dan LaFortune will replace Wood at the state Tax Commission. [Oklahoma Voice]
The Journal Asks Reba 20 Odd Questions
The 70-year-old is newly engaged and celebrating the 50th anniversary of her first record deal. Here, she discusses her coffee routine, why she never throws anything away — and why sometimes you just need a good wig. [WSJ]
▲=Possible paywall
On this day in 1888, the post office at Oklahoma Station was renamed “Oklahoma.”
Ciao for now,
Ted Streuli
Executive Director, Oklahoma Watch
tstreuli@oklahomawatch.org
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