A wave of new laws took effect Friday in Oklahoma at the start of November, implementing changes ranging from tougher penalties for domestic violence to regulations on alcohol sales and content protections online for children. In 2024, Governor Kevin Stitt signed 240 bills, introducing policies to reform safety and regulations.

Among the new laws is the Women’s Bill of Rights, House Bill 1449, which defines a man and a woman according to their biological sex assigned at birth. Lawmakers argue this gives women equal access to separate spaces, such as bathrooms and prisons.

“The state recognizes that in public places – whether a restroom, a prison, a park or elsewhere – we will follow the definitions set out in law, just like thousands of other laws that we adopted in this building,” said Senator Jessica Garvin. R-Duncan.

Opponents argue the bill targets Oklahoma’s transgender population.

“There are transgender and gender non-conforming Oklahomans; they are part of our community,” said Sen. Julia Kirt, D-OKC. “My constituents deserve dignity and respect, and if they tell me this law is causing them harm, I believe them. »

On child protection, the 1959 Senate bill, authored by Sen. Jerry Alvord, R-Chickasha, now requires pornographic websites to verify the age of users through a photo of identity or a third-party service, in order to prevent minors from accessing adult content.

Other laws include changes to alcohol sales regulations, with businesses no longer required to check IDs before selling alcohol, although they remain responsible for preventing sales to minors. The review follows an incident in which a 90-year-old man was refused alcohol because he lacked identification.

Additionally, certain fireworks, including bottle rockets and stick rockets, are now banned in Oklahoma, a move aimed at improving safety statewide.