News & Commentary
Ending Indefinite Solitary Confinement for the Vast Majority of People with Death Sentences in Oklahoma
By Travis Handler
Latest Event
OKC Pride Parade 2026
We are ecstatic to have you join us, as we walk in the annual Oklahoma City Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28th. As you probably know, the work of the ACLU is now more critical than ever, and we want this year's parade group to be the biggest yet!
Please complete the following registration form and we will be in contact with further details.
The first 80 people to register are guaranteed to receive a free limited-edition ACLU of Oklahoma t-shirt. We do not have a max on how many people can walk with us, but we cannot guarantee t-shirts will be available.
**Please submit one registration entry for every person (children too) that will be walking with us, so that we can have an accurate count for t-shirts and water.**
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Carly Heitland at cheitland@acluok.org.
ACLU, Legal Aid Services File Federal Lawsuit To Overturn OKC Anti-Panhandling Ordinance
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Anti-panhandling Ordinance Rebranded After Complaints, Pushback
By Scott CarterEDITORS NOTE: On Nov. 19, 2015, the ACLU of Oklahoma filed an open records request with the city of Oklahoma City, seeking emails and other documents pertaining to the development and passage of an anti-panhandling ordinance written by Ward 6 councilwoman Meg Salyer. On Dec. 4, Assistant Municipal Counselor Richard Smith replied, asking that ACLU Oklahoma further "refine" its request. "I believe we could expedite the process, if you are willing to be more specific as to the type of record you are seeking," Smith wrote. ACLU Oklahoma agreed to extra time for the request. In late January, Oklahoma City officials released 756 pages of documents relating to the ordinance. ACLU of Oklahoma requested copies of 425 pages. Of those 425 documents, about 80 pages were the basis for this story. Many of them can be found in links embedded throughout this story. All 80 pages are available here.
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Asset Forfeiture Bill Important For Reform Effort, ACLU OK Says
Under the bill, a citizen can recover his or her attorney’s fees if they successfully contest a forfeiture action. The bill cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously on Tuesday.
The bill now goes to the full Oklahoma Senate for consideration.
Kiesel said the committee vote shows that Oklahomans remain concerned about the civil asset forfeiture system. “It is unfortunate that efforts at wholesale reform have stalled for the moment, but we remain hopeful that the voices of large numbers of Oklahomans demanding even more reforms will eventually be heard and will one day become law,” he said.
Kiesel praised the work of legislators on both sides of the aisle for bringing this important issue to the forefront.
“Because of the work done by lawmakers such as Senators Kyle Loveless and David Holt and Representative Cory Williams, Oklahomans are more aware of the flaws in the system. Their ability to transcend normal partisan divides is a testament to their leadership and to t
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