OK lawmakers Advances Bill to Governor Stitt to Raise Age of Consent
If signed, Oklahoma would become the 12th state where the age of consent is 18.
Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, authored House Bill 1003, which is designed to 'to shield minors from exploitation while still showing grace to young people in close-in-age relationships.'
Under Oklahoma law and the proposed law, the maximum age difference is four years.
The propsed law also clarifies that sex between a school employee and a student under the age of 20 is considered rape.
The bill, House Bill 1003, also clarify the state's 'Romeo and Juliet' law, meaning young people who engage in consensual sexual activity with someone under 18 would not be charged with rape if the age difference between them is less than four years.
The current Romeo and Juliet law applies when one partner is at least 14 but under 18, and the other is no more than four years older.
Under the current law, a 17-year-old could legally engage in consensual relations with a 14-year-old, but an 18-year-old in the same situation would not be covered by the exemption. If the law is passed a 21-year-old could legally engage in a consensual relations with a 17-year-old.
The Romeo and Juliet law does not apply if the older party is in a position of authority, trust, or influence over the younger individual, for example, teachers, coaches, clergy members, and others in positions of power.
Sexual activity with a child below the age of 14 is classified as first-degree rape under Oklahoma law regardless of the age gap.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Kamala Harris says she's not running for California governor
Former Vice President Kamala Harris announced Wednesday that she will not run for governor of California in 2026, putting an end to speculation that she would seek her state's top executive role after her loss to President Trump in November. 'In recent months, I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their Governor. I love this state, its people, and its promise. It is my home. But after deep reflection, I've decided that I will not run for Governor in this election,' Harris said in a statement. The former vice president said she spent time reflecting over the past six months since losing the election, after taking over the Democratic ticket when former President Biden dropped out of the race. 'I have extraordinary admiration and respect for those who dedicate their lives to public service—service to their communities and to our nation. At the same time, we must recognize that our politics, our government, and our institutions have too often failed the American people, culminating in this moment of crisis,' Harris said. 'As we look ahead, we must be willing to pursue change through new methods and fresh thinking—committed to our same values and principles, but not bound by the same playbook.' Harris was considering all her options before making her decision official and has made it clear she is not done with public service. She said Wednesday she will get more active in helping Democrats this cycle. 'For now, my leadership—and public service—will not be in elected office. I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans,' Harris said in the statement. Her decision is sure to fuel further speculation that she's planning to mount another bid for the White House in 2028. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Biden's secretary of Health and Human Services, are among the Democrats running so far to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who is term limited. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Harris releasing book on presidential run: ‘107 Days'
Former Vice President Kamala Harris is set to release a memoir in September detailing her truncated, unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign, she announced Thursday. Harris and Simon & Schuster announced the book, titled '107 Days,' will offer insights into the former vice president's losing campaign against President Trump. 'Just over a year ago, I launched my campaign for President of the United States,' Harris said in a video announcement of the book Thursday. 'One hundred and seven days traveling the country, fighting for our future — the shortest presidential campaign in modern history. 'Since leaving office, I've spent a lot of time reflecting on those days and with candor and reflection, I've written a behind-the-scenes account of that journey,' she added. 'I believe there's value in sharing what I saw, what I learned, and what it will take to move forward.' Harris launched her presidential campaign in late July 2024, days after then-President Biden announced he would no longer seek a second term amid intense Democratic scrutiny of his mental acuity and ability to win the election. The then-vice president rejuvenated the Democratic base and donors, but she ultimately lost to Trump by a decisive margin. The book announcement comes one day after Harris announced she would not run for California governor in 2026, leaving open the question of when or if she will seek elected office in the future. She said Wednesday she will get more active in helping Democrats this election cycle. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Ex-Biden ‘Politburo' aide Steve Ricchetti tells Oversight panel former prez was ‘fully capable,' no one usurped his powers
WASHINGTON — Steve Ricchetti, an ex-top aide to former President Joe Biden and member of his purported 'Politburo,' testified before the House Oversight Committee that his old boss was 'fully capable' of discharging his duties and that no one 'usurped' his executive powers. Ricchetti, 68, the former counselor to the president and staunch Biden fan, testified before the GOP-led panel for about eight and a half hours Wednesday as part of its probe into the 46th president's mental acuity and use of autopen. 'Let me be clear: At all times during his presidency, I believed that President Biden was fully capable of exercising his Presidential duties and responsibilities, and that he did so,' Ricchetti testified during his opening statement, per multiple reports. 'Neither I, nor anyone else, usurped President Biden's constitutional duties.' Advertisement 'I firmly believe that at all times during my four years in the White House, President Biden was fulfilling his constitutional duties. Did he stumble? Occasionally. Make mistakes? Get up on the wrong side of the bed? He did – we all did.' 3 Steve Ricchetti voluntarily cooperated with the GOP-led House Oversight Committee and sat for hours of testimony Wednesday. CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Ricchetti is now the seventh Biden confidant to come before the panel and claims he did so voluntarily to combat the 'false narrative that President Biden was mentally unable to perform his Constitutional duties.' Advertisement The 68-year-old has long been in Democratic politics, having worked on Biden's campaign, served as his chief of staff during the latter half of his vice presidency, and as the White House deputy chief of staff for operations in the Clinton administration. For four years, Ricchetti played a critical role in shepherding Biden's legislative agenda. In the book 'Original Sin,' Ricchetti was described as one of five members in Biden's core inner circle, dubbed the 'Politburo' and described as the 'ultimate decision-makers' surrounding the 46th president. At one point, Ricchetti personally rang up a reporter to push back against claims from multiple sources about Biden's condition, according to the book. Advertisement 3 Former President Joe Biden has shrugged off concerns about his age and use of autopen. AP He also railed against actor George Clooney in the wake of the actor's stunning op-ed against Biden last July. 'Ricchetti read it and was furious. Internally, he threatened to shut Clooney down—some of his colleagues thought he sounded like a mob boss,' authors Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper recounted. Back in May, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) began blasting out requests to former Biden aides to assist in a probe of the former president's use of autopen to sign key documents and whether they helped participate in a 'cover-up' of his mental cognition. Advertisement Ricchetti was summoned for testimony last month. Behind closed doors on Wednesday, Ricchetti took aim at the GOP-led Oversight panel, accusing it of participating in a 'concerted effort by the Administration and its Congressional allies to diminish the record of the former President.' 'I am not aware of any effort to use the autopen on important documents without the President's knowledge and consent,' Ricchetti added in his opening statement. 'I am not aware of any effort to keep important information from the President.' 'Senior White House staff kept the President fully informed so that he could provide direction and make all important decisions.' Biden, for his part, declared in a statement provided by his office that 'I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations.' 'Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false.' 3 Steve Ricchetti was widely seen as being part of former President Joe Biden's innermost circle during his administration. AFP via Getty Images Asked about Ricchetti's testimony, Comer indicated that the Biden official was not very forthcoming. Advertisement 'He didn't tell us a whole lot of what you wouldn't expect,' the Kentucky Republican told Fox News 'Ingraham Angle' host Laura Ingraham. 'His testimony wasn't consistent with others who have actually testified,' Comer added, noting that about half the former White House officials the committee has brought in have asserted their Fifth Amendment rights. 'All their testimony is inconsistent,' Comer continued. 'So we're going to put the pieces together, and we're going to release all the transcripts, and we're going to issue a report, and hopefully we'll be able to determine whether or not Joe Biden had any idea who was using the autopen and what they were using it for.' The Trump administration has opened multiple probes into Biden's use of autopen that dovetail with the Oversight Committee's work. Advertisement Other aides to appear before the powerful investigative panel, including former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain; Jill Biden's powerful former chief of staff Anthony Bernal; former presidential physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor; Ashley Williams, former special assistant to the president and deputy director of Oval Office Operations; and Neera Tanden, the former White House director of the Domestic Policy Council. Several of the Biden aides have pleaded the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer questions from the Oversight Committee. The powerful investigatory panel is slated to hear from former senior adviser Mike Donilon on Thursday.
