Sen. Standridge comments on the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling on Norman City Council vote to defund police

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, released the following statement after the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that the city of Norman violated the state’s Open Meeting Act when it voted to cut the police budget by more than $865,000 last year.  The Court ruling said that the meeting notice, which did not specify cuts to the police budget were to be considered, was misleading at best, deceptive at worst, and constituted a willful violation of the Open Meeting Act.

“Last June, during an all-night city council meeting where hours and hours were spent demonizing the police, Norman became one of 11 cities nationwide at the time to defund their police departments.  But on Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the mayor and council violated the state’s open meeting law.

“I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision, but the damage caused by that vote is already apparent.  Since that vote against public safety, the city of Norman has become less safe according to trends we’re seeing in crime statistics for the community.”

For more information, contact Sen. Rob Standridge at 405-521-5535 or email Rob.Standridge@oksenate.gov