[lcc4hl] FW: RELEASE: Senate Sends Human Trafficking Wiretap Bill to Governor
- From: Lundy Kiger <lundy.kiger@xxxxxxx>
- To: "lcc4hl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <lcc4hl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2015 21:24:41 +0000
From: Eric Bradshaw [mailto:Eric.Bradshaw@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, April 06, 2015 4:13 PM
Subject: RELEASE: Senate Sends Human Trafficking Wiretap Bill to Governor
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Oklahoma House of Representatives
Media Division
April 6, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: State Rep. Sally Kern
Capitol: (405) 557-7348
Senate Sends Human Trafficking Wiretap Bill to Governor
OKLAHOMA CITY - Legislation approved unanimously today by the Oklahoma Senate
would expand wiretapping statutes to cover crimes of human trafficking for
labor, commercial sex and the prostitution of children.
House Bill 1006, by state Rep. Sally Kern, was approved by a vote of 43-0 and
will now proceed to the governor's desk.
"Human trafficking is a challenge for law enforcement and prosecutors," said
Kern, R-Oklahoma City. "Victims are afraid of their trafficker and fear for
their life if they testify against their pimp. Having the ability to wiretap
conversations between the victim and his or her trafficker will reveal the true
nature of the relationship, the threats the victim is subjected to and who
other traffickers are and what they are planning."
Kern said that there are plenty of safeguards in place to protect privacy
rights.
"The ability to get the approval for wiretapping is a very hard process and
involves multiple steps that investigators must go through in their application
for a wiretap," Kern said. "These steps involve the attorney general's office
and a state supreme court justice's approval and will only be applied for after
many months of an investigative process by law enforcement."
She noted wiretapping is used for drug investigations.
"If we really want to fight the crime of human trafficking, we need to give law
enforcement the tools they need to arrest those who are profiting from the
selling of human beings," Kern said.
House lawmakers previously approved the legislation 91-0.
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