• Contact
Thursday, August 28, 2025
  • Login
Oklahoma Business Voice
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Aerospace
    • Childcare
    • Education
    • Energy & Environment
    • Federal
    • Film & Television Industry
    • Finance
    • Health Care
    • Innovation
    • Issues Affecting Oklahomans
    • OBV One-on-One
    • Opinion
    • Politics & Elections
    • Taxes & Budget
    • Tribal
    • Workforce Development
    Oklahoma Approves $60M in Airport Upgrades and Aerospace Education Funding

    Oklahoma Approves $60M in Airport Upgrades and Aerospace Education Funding

    “Future of Learning” on full display at Broken Arrow Academy 

    “Future of Learning” on full display at Broken Arrow Academy 

    Innovation District Awards $291,000 in Grants to Boost STEM Education in Oklahoma City

    Innovation District Awards $291,000 in Grants to Boost STEM Education in Oklahoma City

    Startup OU Idea Accelerator Graduates First Cohort, Boosting Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurial Pipeline

    Startup OU Idea Accelerator Graduates First Cohort, Boosting Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurial Pipeline

  • Sign UpNEW
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Aerospace
    • Childcare
    • Education
    • Energy & Environment
    • Federal
    • Film & Television Industry
    • Finance
    • Health Care
    • Innovation
    • Issues Affecting Oklahomans
    • OBV One-on-One
    • Opinion
    • Politics & Elections
    • Taxes & Budget
    • Tribal
    • Workforce Development
    Oklahoma Approves $60M in Airport Upgrades and Aerospace Education Funding

    Oklahoma Approves $60M in Airport Upgrades and Aerospace Education Funding

    “Future of Learning” on full display at Broken Arrow Academy 

    “Future of Learning” on full display at Broken Arrow Academy 

    Innovation District Awards $291,000 in Grants to Boost STEM Education in Oklahoma City

    Innovation District Awards $291,000 in Grants to Boost STEM Education in Oklahoma City

    Startup OU Idea Accelerator Graduates First Cohort, Boosting Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurial Pipeline

    Startup OU Idea Accelerator Graduates First Cohort, Boosting Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurial Pipeline

  • Sign UpNEW
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!
No Result
View All Result
Oklahoma Business Voice
No Result
View All Result
Home News Issues Affecting Oklahomans
Poll: Oklahomans want retail theft crackdown; legislature taking action

Poll: Oklahomans want retail theft crackdown; legislature taking action

Hicham Raache by Hicham Raache
April 25, 2024
in Issues Affecting Oklahomans, News, Politics & Elections
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

OKLAHOMA CITY (OBV) – Oklahoma lawmakers are considering legislation that creates tougher laws on crimes that hurt businesses, and a new poll shows that Oklahomans want such laws passed.

The Cicero Institute released the poll last week.

“A strong majority of voters across the political spectrum support tough-on-crime policies to combat assault, theft and drug trafficking,” Cicero officials said. “Lawmakers in the Sooner State are in a unique position to enact meaningful reforms to bring security and safety that are supported by a wide margin of voters from all political stripes.”

Oklahoma voters by a wide margin favor making shoplifting of more than $500 worth of goods a felony, as shown by the results to the following Cicero poll question:

Shoplifting is a problem that plagues an increasing number of retail businesses, and business owners want state leaders to take action, according to Chad Warmington, president and CEO of The State Chamber of Oklahoma.

“There is a growing problem with theft in many of our retail stores across Oklahoma. A lot of those businesses are members of The State Chamber because the deterrent is gone,” Warmington said. “There’s got to be a better balance between criminal justice reform, which we’ve supported in the past, and making sure that our businesses aren’t left exposed. I think what the research shows is Oklahomans support toughening up on some of those issues.”

Capital One research shows that Oklahoma retailers lost $848 million in revenue to theft in 2022.

The Oklahoma Legislature is taking action.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed House Bill 3694 in March.

HB 3694, written by Rep. John George, R-Newalla, decreases the felony threshold for theft from $1,000 to $500.

George cited the National Retail Federation, which reports that more than 81 percent of business owners have faced more violent theft-related crimes compared to previous years.

“It’s necessary for Oklahoma to adopt pragmatic legislation that not only holds violent offenders accountable but also confronts the alarming rise in crime rates,” George said. “We have two options: either we can take a lenient approach to crime or adopt smart strategies to combat it.”

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, wrote Senate Bill 1450 to crack down on retail crime and crime syndicates by allowing the Attorney General’s Office to hire more agents to investigate organized retail crime so to improve response time and bring charges quicker.

The bill’s provisions mandate that individuals convicted of organized retail theft will be subject to a term of up to five-years in county jail. Individuals convicted could face up to eight years in prison.

“This legislation was born out of recommendations from the Organized Retail Crime Task Force that has been meeting since October,” Treat said. “While the committee continues to meet, this is one of the group’s first recommendations they collectively believe will make an immediate impact in cracking down on retail crime in our state. Senate Bill 1450 gives the Attorney General’s Office more investigative authority and incorporates stricter penalties for individuals who operate or are engaged in organized crime. We must do everything we can to protect public safety, while vigorously prosecuting criminals who are engaged in these illegal activities.”

Tags: Chad WarmingtonCicero InstituteOklahomaRepresentative John GeorgeSenate President Pro Tempore Greg TreatSenate Pro Tem Greg TreatShopliftingState Chamber of Oklahoma
ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

State Chamber of Oklahoma criticizes Federal Trade Commission noncompete ban, U.S. Chamber files lawsuit

Next Post

Gov. Stitt signs law requiring Oklahoma schools to teach cursive handwriting

Related Posts

Oklahoma Approves $60M in Airport Upgrades and Aerospace Education Funding
Aerospace

Oklahoma Approves $60M in Airport Upgrades and Aerospace Education Funding

August 27, 2025
“Future of Learning” on full display at Broken Arrow Academy 
Education

“Future of Learning” on full display at Broken Arrow Academy 

August 28, 2025
Innovation District Awards $291,000 in Grants to Boost STEM Education in Oklahoma City
Education

Innovation District Awards $291,000 in Grants to Boost STEM Education in Oklahoma City

August 21, 2025
Startup OU Idea Accelerator Graduates First Cohort, Boosting Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurial Pipeline
Innovation

Startup OU Idea Accelerator Graduates First Cohort, Boosting Oklahoma’s Entrepreneurial Pipeline

August 21, 2025
Major Legal Reform makes Oklahoma “Open for Business”
News

Major Legal Reform makes Oklahoma “Open for Business”

August 21, 2025
New Norman Cancer Center Expands Access to Advanced Care in South-Central Oklahoma
Health Care

New Norman Cancer Center Expands Access to Advanced Care in South-Central Oklahoma

August 21, 2025
Next Post
Gov. Stitt signs law requiring Oklahoma schools to teach cursive handwriting

Gov. Stitt signs law requiring Oklahoma schools to teach cursive handwriting

Oklahoma Business Voice

© 2023 Oklahoma State Chamber.
Powered by High Five Media.
Privacy Policy

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • News
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sign Up
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise With Us!

© 2023 Oklahoma State Chamber.
Powered by High Five Media.
Privacy Policy

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.