Aliyah Chapman
April 16, 2021
Oklahoma, April 16, 2021- Do you ever feel as though there should be limitations between the side person and the main person? Is having a side piece a good or bad thing? Should side pieces be sworn to secrecy? Representative Grays proposed House bill No. OPSU 501 which refers to the regulations and limitations between the side and the main person. Exciting buzz was in the air, seeing that this bill was a special order. This was a bill that everyone wanted to hear explained and possibly even debated. In his bill, he proposed that both parties (main and side person) have to enter into a contract that agrees to respect the boundaries presented by each person. Are there any consequences? If the perpetrator violates the contract or has unprofessional contact on social media while the contract is being created, the defendant then becomes sole arbiter. Meaning, the defendant obtains the power to judge or determine a decision.
After Representative Grays gave his author’s explanation, the chat room was on fire with questions. Representatives were throwing questions left and right, eager to see how Representative Grays would respond. There were even several motions made to extend time for questions. The Representative gave his all and answered the questions to the best of his ability. After time for questions was over, members of the House went to caucus in breakout rooms. These breakout rooms provided enlightening commentary and allowed for opinion on both sides of the argument. Those who opposed this bill shared stories of being victims of cheating or abuse. The intend of the bill was to be fun, but seeing that some members of the House were affected, he apologized. There were multiple friendly amendments as a way to strengthen this bill. One of the amendments made was to strike the fine of $500 and replace it with no more than $1,000. Representative Gray welcomed the amendments because he gained more insight and he wanted his bill to pass. In the end, both sides came together to pass the Representative’s bill so that he can debate his bill in the Senate.