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Two bills supported by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) were signed into law by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Tuesday.
SB 942 — sponsored by State Senator Kristen Thompson and State Representative Emily Gise — defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, including its 11 contemporary examples, and mandates the integration of the definition into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct.
Furthermore, the bill gives teeth to Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act by directing the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to designate a Title VI coordinator to monitor, review, and investigate antisemitic discrimination in public K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions.
SB 991 — also introduced by Senator Thompson and Representative Gise — adopts IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism into Oklahoma state law, building on a January 2022 executive proclamation issued by Governor Stitt endorsing the definition.
The bills were previously advanced by the Oklahoma Senate with 31-15 and 27-15 votes on March 25 and approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives by 56-29 and 62-24 margins on April 30.
A total of 37 U.S. states have adopted or endorsed the definition, according to a database compiled by the Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) by CAM.
After the bills were okayed by Senate Education and Judiciary Committees in February, Senator Thompson stated, “Oklahoma has always stood against hate, and today we move one step closer to ensuring our universities are equipped to recognize and respond decisively to antisemitism. Every student deserves an environment free from discrimination and fear.”
“With this legislation, we send a clear message: hate has no place in Oklahoma,” she added. “We stand united, committed to protecting the dignity and safety of all Oklahomans.”
Representative Gise said ahead of the House vote last week, “We can’t combat what we can’t define. This framework is going to help us understand what is and isn’t antisemitism.”
“I stand proud with the Jewish community to fight back against antisemitism,” she added.
CAM is leading an organized effort to engage and educate state legislators across the United States on antisemitism-related issues and potential policy remedies, such as the new Oklahoma laws.
Similar legislative initiatives have also been put forth in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, and Tennessee in recent months.
Oklahoma is the fifth state to see legislation of this type enacted since the start of April, following Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
Read more:
Eight Hours of Warmth and Solidarity in Oklahoma
CAM Educates State Lawmakers on Urgent Need for Action Against Antisemitism in Public Schools
