© 2021
In touch with the world ... at home on the High Plains
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Oklahoma's Stand Your Ground Law Could Be Expanded To Include Places Of Worship Under Proposed Law

Wikimedia Commons

Oklahoma lawmakers are looking at expanding the state’s Stand Your Ground law to include places of worship.

As KOSU reports, the law known as Stand Your Ground gives people who kill or seriously wound someone in self-defense immunity from prosecution — even if they didn’t try to evade the danger first.

Legislators are looking to expand the law to cover churches, synagogues and mosques and any other “building, structure or office space … used for worship services.

By a vote of 62 to 21, the House voted to pass House Bill 2632 but some lawmakers criticized the bill because of its broad definition of places of worship, saying it could be applied anywhere people are worshipping. The author of the bill says the definition is purposely broad so as to cover the diverse faiths practiced in Oklahoma.

The Senate could vote on the measure in a few days