Journalist Mitchell Sadler (OBU)
Legislation for a Better Oklahoma
Sydney Collier is one of the premier members of the esteemed Senate. She consistently has a great presence on the floor and brings a profound knowledge of many subjects, and her legislation is always of extremely high quality. This session, however, she outdid herself. One of her bills this session was a piece of legislation banning the use of unmarked police cars by Oklahoma police. In my interview with her, she said that she was inspired by an incident in which one of her family members was pulled over by an unmarked police car. Her family member was so distressed by the incident that the event was eventually escalated to and resolved in court, and after seeing the pain caused to her family, she was driven to act.
Collier deeply researched the subject, and found statistics and studies that showed how ineffective unmarked police cars actually are. They are ineffective at controlling traffic, giving tickets, and they create division between the police and the populace. The police are meant to protect and serve, not punish and entrap, and Collier found that precedent exists for a ban. The
Oklahoma Highway Patrol is prohibited from using unmarked cars, and that was a standard she extended to the police at large in this bill.
I personally witnessed her initial Senate presentation, and the body presented lots of good questions regarding the effectiveness and efficacy of the idea. A clear benefit of the bill was that it helped to protect vulnerable populations, specifically women and minorities. Collier told me that the idea that a private citizen could use a civilian vehicle that bore sufficient resemblance to a police car to impersonate an officer did not sit well with her, as it opened up the possibility of great harm.
But beyond this, the bill actually helps police as well. Collier told me that her research found that in other locales where similar measures have been enacted, the police are actually empowered to better fulfill their duties. When unmarked cars are banned, it makes law enforcement at large more visible and accessible.
On top of all this, Collier’s bill actually exposed a parliamentary issue that had been previously unknown by the Senate body. Specifically, bills that don’t underline sections properly create doubt as to how the statutes would actually be enacted. Collier helped to expose this issue, and her presentation has permanently changed the Senate for the better. That is something I’ve never personally witnessed, and I’m greatly impressed by Collier’s skill as a legislator.
But it doesn’t stop there. Collier’s proposal was unanimously passed by the House, and the governor himself liked the legislation so much he selected it to be placed on a legislator’s desk. This is impressive to me for a few reasons. First: part of what drew me to OIL was the fact that this body has the power to enact actual change within Oklahoma. The idea that something so significant has a chance at actually becoming Oklahoma law is intoxicating. Second: Governor Barnett plans to pursue a career in law enforcement after his tenure as governor concludes. This session, he took issue with other bills placed on his desk that attempted to bring better accountability to police, but did so in a manner he felt was taken too far or created other issues for law enforcement. The fact that Governor Barnett himself would like the bill enough to recommend it to legislators despite the fact that it could personally affect him in the future is huge. But his recommendation is a clear confirmation of the merits of the bill and the benefits it stands to bring.
Finally, the legislative recommendation is a huge indicator of Collier’s future success and intelligence. Previous bills that have become law were brought by delegates that eventually found careers in Oklahoma or national politics. One example is Daniel Pae: he brought legislation that made the same journey, and he is now an Oklahoma state representative. I’m so proud of Collier’s performance, not just because she is a friend and member of my delegation, but because she has brought forth an idea that stands to increase the prestige and legitimacy of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature as a whole. When it comes to this ban on unmarked cars, Collier has shown that her presence and writing ability is a mark of excellence. She deserves all the future success I am sure she will have, and it is an honor to serve alongside her.