Al McAffrey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 17, 2009
Contact: info@almcaffrey.com

Oklahoma City - Today, Oklahoma State Representative Al McAffrey (D-OKC) announced his strong opposition to State Senator Steve Russell's (R-Del City) plans to introduce a bill exempting Oklahoma from adhering to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

"Senator Russell is employing the same old tired arguments from yesteryear that have attempted to hold Oklahoma back," McAffrey said. "Preventing crimes against Oklahomans because of who they are is in no way an attack on free speech. That argument is nothing but empty rhetoric used to scare and mislead folks."

Russell said he plans to introduce his bill during the upcoming spring session of the Oklahoma State Legislature. Russell initially considered a way to pass his bill while retaining the $5 million endowed by the federal government to enforce it.

"I don't know about Senator Russell, but I enlisted in the United States Navy to fight for the rights of all Americans regardless of their skin color, gender or who they are," said McAffrey. "Today, I'm serving in the State Legislature to do the same thing: fight for the rights of all Oklahomans. That's a fight I'll never give up."

McAffrey has introduced previous hate crimes legislation in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives and is a champion of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act that was signed into law earlier this year.

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