Zimmerman (OU)
Gov. Barnett vetoed several bills on Saturday, including a bill opposing the death penalty, which had passed both chambers with overwhelming support.
Sen. Song (ORU) spoke before both the senate and the house Sunday morning, urging delegates to uphold their previous decision.
“The governor vetoed this bill on his own personal moral beliefs,” Song said in her author’s explanation. Several other delegates echoed this statement.
“From what I hear the governor is very conservative, so I feel like this was a personal politics issue rather than an issue with the bill itself,” said Rep. Pullen (TU).
Delegates supporting the bill had a wide range of opinions on the issue itself, but this had little effect on the overall consensus on the bill.
Rep. Hodson (OSU) said, “There’s a provision in this legislation that basically means if the person under trial accepts the penalty but doesn’t accept guilt, that’s the only people that this bill applies to. My personal opinion as someone who is still kind of okay with the death penalty, the death penalty still exists, but it is only used when they are found truly guilty.”
Sen. McCartney (OU) said, “I completely support the bill. As someone who is adamantly pro-life, I don’t think you can be pro-life and pro-death penalty…I think the death penalty is definitely covered under no cruel and unusual punishment.”
Even those in opposition to the bill questioned the governor’s veto decision. Sen. Brooks (OBU) said, “Personally, I think the death penalty should be an option…I do not think that the governor particularly had the right to veto the bill because he vetoed it for his own personal beliefs…but I think the body will move as the body will move.”
Brooks was not the only delegate who expressed concern about the governor’s inability to remain impartial.
“It seems to me like the veto was a very uninformed, insensitive, and not well thought out decision, respectfully,” said Rep. Bruton (TCC).
Rep. Lamb (NSU) agreed with this statement. He said, “We are going to override the governor’s bloody veto.”
The body upheld its decision. ORU-004 was the first bill on the house orders of the day, and it passed in a matter of minutes.
“I think that the house did the right thing,” said Song. “The death penalty is wrong. If murder is wrong in one case, it is wrong in another.”