HB 2634 Update: Now in Senate!

HB 2634 has been engrossed and has had three hearings and been passed on to the Judiciary Committee in the Senate. We'll post e-mails here when its time to write. There are only 9  committee member.

Thanks to all who helped us get through the House! 

Oklahoma: HB 2634 passes House 93-0!

Pat is still having problems posting here, so I'm relaying the news! --Marley

HB 2634 passed through the House Floor today with votes  93-0.  How AWSOME!

Thankfully we were there passing out flyers to the Representatives and our sponsor's LA called and said the bill was to be heard onthe Floor in 15 minutes. We hurried to the House Floor seating and it was placed on the floor just as we got our seats. Rep Sherrer said it was about adoptees getting their original birth certificates. There was no discussion and it went up for a vote.

It all happened so fast! We sat there a few minutes and just looked at each other. UNBELIEVABLE!

 Pat

HB 2634 will hit the Senate soon!  Stay tuned!

Here is the journal entry for the bill.  It's  about 1/4 down the page.

Note that 3 sponsors were added:  Purcy D Walker, Chuck Hoskin, and Jeannie McDaniel 

Rep  Walker

Rep. McDaniel

Rep Hoskin

Thank you Oklahoma House for supporting the restoration of adoptee rights in Oklahoma!

Letter to the Editor, "HB 2634 will return equal rights to adopted adults" by Pat Marler

The Oklahoman, March 12, 2012
HB 2634 will return equal rights to adopted adults

I pay taxes and do all the things law-abiding citizens do, but I'm not treated as many other law-abiding Oklahomans are because I was adopted. All people have a right to their own identity and personal birth information, but adoptees aren't accorded that right. A remedy for this oversight has passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. House Bill 2634 would allow adult adoptees the right to obtain original birth certificates and let birth parents fill out a contact preference form that would tell adoptees if they'd like contact, no contact or contact through an intermediary.

Birth parents who don't want contact would be given a medical and social form to fill out to give to adoptees when they obtain their original birth certificate. At last, this piece of legislation will return equal rights to adopted adults.


Pat Marler,
Edmond

HB 2634 Placed for Floor Vote: A Limited Action Alert for Oklahomans

From Pat Marler:

Great news! HB2634 was placed on the House of Representatives Floor Calendar today! It will be heard between the 12th and the last day to be heard,i the 15th.

This is a clean bill with no restrictions; only a contact Preference Form which does not affect the release of the OBC. 

 

The following are e-mail addresses for the Representatives and we want all those who were born or live in Oklahoma to please write these Representatives and tell them why passing this legislation is important to all adult adoptees born before 1997. It is a sensitive way to let a birth parent to let the adoptee know how or if she/hewants to be contacted. Also, if there is no contact wanted, the birth parent will be asked to fill out a medical and social history to be given along with the Contact Preference form to the original birth certificate.

IMPORTANT:   HB 2634 sponsor Rep. Ben Scherrer  requests that  emails not be sent until  Monday morning March 12.  He wants them to be fresh in the legislators' minds. He also wants them short and to the point.

Read the bill here and then write:

Representative	Email
Armes, Don	donarmes@okhouse.gov
Banz, Gary W.	garybanz@okhouse.gov
Bennett, John	john.bennett@okhouse.gov
Billy, Lisa J.	lisajbilly@okhouse.gov
Blackwell, Gus	gusblackwell@okhouse.gov
Brown, Mike	mikebrown@okhouse.gov
Brumbaugh, David	david.brumbaugh@okhouse.gov
Cannaday, Ed	ed.cannaday@okhouse.gov
Casey, Dennis	dennis.casey@okhouse.gov
Christian, Mike	mike.christian@okhouse.gov
Cockroft, Josh	josh.cockroft@okhouse.gov
Condit, Donnie	donnie.condit@okhouse.gov
Coody, Ann	anncoody@okhouse.gov
Cooksey, Marian	mariancooksey@okhouse.gov
Cox, Doug	dougcox@okhouse.gov
Dank, David	david.dank@okhouse.gov
Denney, Lee	leedenney@okhouse.gov
Derby, David	david.derby@okhouse.gov
DeWitt, Dale	daledewitt@okhouse.gov
Dorman, Joe	joedorman@okhouse.gov
Enns, John	john.enns@okhouse.gov
Faught, George	george.faught@okhouse.gov
Fourkiller, William	will.fourkiller@okhouse.gov
Glenn, Larry	larryglenn@okhouse.gov
Grau, Randy	randy.grau@okhouse.gov
Hall, Elise	elise.hall@okhouse.gov
Hamilton, Rebecca	rebeccahamilton@okhouse.gov
Hardin, Tommy	tommy.hardin@okhouse.gov
Hickman, Jeffrey W.	jwhickman@okhouse.gov
Hilliard, Wes	weshilliard@okhouse.gov
Holland, Corey	corey.holland@okhouse.gov
Hoskin, Chuck	chuck.hoskin@okhouse.gov
House District 71	district71@okhouse.gov
House District 88	district88@okhouse.gov
Inman, Scott	scott.inman@okhouse.gov
Jackson, Mike	mikejackson@okhouse.gov
Johnson, Dennis	dennis.johnson@okhouse.gov
Jordan, Fred	fred.jordan@okhouse.gov
Joyner, Charlie	charlie.joyner@okhouse.gov
Kern, Sally	sallykern@okhouse.gov
Key, Charles	charles.key@okhouse.gov
Kirby, Dan	dan.kirby@okhouse.gov
Kouplen, Steve	steve.kouplen@okhouse.gov
Liebmann, Guy	guyliebmann@okhouse.gov
Lockhart, James	james.lockhart@okhouse.gov
Martin, Scott	scott.martin@okhouse.gov
Martin, Steve	stevemartin@okhouse.gov
McCullough, Mark	mark.mccullough@okhouse.gov
McDaniel, Curtis	curtis.mcdaniel@okhouse.gov
McDaniel, Jeannie	jeanniemcdaniel@okhouse.gov
McDaniel, Randy	randy.mcdaniel@okhouse.gov
McNiel, Skye	skye.mcniel@okhouse.gov
McPeak, Jerry	jerrymcpeak@okhouse.gov
Moore, Lewis H.	lewis.moore@okhouse.gov
Morgan, Danny	dannymorgan@okhouse.gov
Morrissette, Richard	richardmorrissette@okhouse.gov
Mulready, Glen	glen.mulready@okhouse.gov
Murphey, Jason	jason.murphey@okhouse.gov
Nelson, Jason	jason.nelson@okhouse.gov
Newell, Tom	tom.newell@okhouse.gov
Nollan, Jadine	jadine.nollan@okhouse.gov
Ortega, Charles	charles.ortega@okhouse.gov
Osborn, Leslie	leslie.osborn@okhouse.gov
Ownbey, Pat	pat.ownbey@okhouse.gov
Peters, Ron	ronpeters@okhouse.gov
Peterson, Pam	pampeterson@okhouse.gov
Pittman, Anastasia	anastasia.pittman@okhouse.gov
Proctor, Eric	eric.proctor@okhouse.gov
Pruett, R. C.	rcpruett@okhouse.gov
Quinn, Marty	marty.quinn@okhouse.gov
Renegar, Brian	brian.renegar@okhouse.gov
Reynolds, Mike	mikereynolds@okhouse.gov
Richardson, Phil	philrichardson@okhouse.gov
Ritze, Mike	mike.ritze@okhouse.gov
Roan, Paul D.	paulroan@okhouse.gov
Roberts, Dustin	dustin.roberts@okhouse.gov
Roberts, Sean	sean.roberts@okhouse.gov
Rousselot, Wade	waderousselot@okhouse.gov
Russ, Todd	todd.russ@okhouse.gov
Sanders, Mike	mike.sanders@okhouse.gov
Schwartz, Colby	colby.schwartz@okhouse.gov
Scott, Seneca	seneca.scott@okhouse.gov
Sears, Earl	earl.sears@okhouse.gov
Shannon, T. W.	tw.shannon@okhouse.gov
Shelton, Mike	mikeshelton@okhouse.gov
Sherrer, Ben	bensherrer@okhouse.gov
Shoemake, Jerry	jerryshoemake@okhouse.gov
Shumate, Jabar	jabarshumate@okhouse.gov
Steele, Kris	krissteele@okhouse.gov
Stiles, Aaron	aaron.stiles@okhouse.gov
Terrill, Randy	randyterrill@okhouse.gov
Thomsen, Todd	todd.thomsen@okhouse.gov
Tibbs, Sue	suetibbs@okhouse.gov
Trebilcock, John	johntrebilcock@okhouse.gov
Vaughan, Steve	steve.vaughan@okhouse.gov
Virgin, Emily	emily.virgin@okhouse.gov
Walker, Purcy D.	purcywalker@okhouse.gov
Watson, Weldon	weldon.watson@okhouse.gov
Wesselhoft, Paul	paulwesselhoft@okhouse.gov
Williams, Cory T.	cory.williams@okhouse.gov
Wright, Harold	harold.wright@okhouse.gov

Letter to the Editor: "HB 2634 will allow adoptees access to their birth certificates by Tammy Figueroa

 HB 2634 will allow adoptees access to their birth certificates 

The Oklahoman, March 7, 2012

As an adoptee born in 1967 in Oklahoma, I should have the same rights to my original birth certificate as any other nonadopted individual born in the state. I'm not a child; I'm an adult. I have been denied multiple requests for my original birth certificate over the years. It shouldn't be a lottery on getting lucky enough for someone to bend the rules and approve my request.
 
My children, grandchildren and generations to come should have the ability to trace their lineage without running into a brick wall. I want to be able to have a tangible document that contains the factual information regarding my birth, to pass down through my family. As an armchair genealogist, I find it ridiculous that I can trace another's lineage back to the Middle Ages and locate documents centuries old, but I can't obtain my own original birth certificate!

I support House Bill 2634 for the unconditional right of adopted adults to obtain their original birth certificates. This isn't asking for special treatment. I simply want the same respect and courtesy offered to others. HB 2634 would bring Oklahoma out of the Dark Ages of secrecy and not allow our rights to be trumped by irrational fears.

Tammy Figueroa, Bella Vista, Ark.

Victory in Judiciary - Letters needed to Rep. Steele and DeWitt

Yesterday the Oklahoma House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to pass HB 2634. The bill can now go to to the House Floor. 

Can is the operative word.

We have heard from our sponsor, Rep. Ben Sherrer that we need to e-mail the Speaker of the House, Rep. Kris Steele and Rep Dale DeWitt and ask them to let HB2634 be heard on the House floor. These individuals can kill a bill if they do not like it, and not let it be heard on the House floor. 

Please e-mail these two legislators asking for HB2634 to be heard on the House floor. You can give a reason it is important for this bill to be heard--restoring the basic human/civil rights of adult adopted people, for example.

Rep. Kris Steele krissteele@okhouse.gov

Rep. Dale Dewitt daledewitt@okhouse.gov

At this time we are asking for Oklahoma letters only.

 If you write, please cc us at OklaOpen@gmail.com

 

Letter to the Editor: "Adoptee Rights" by Samantha Brian Franklin

A letter to the editor from adoptee rights activist Samantha Brian Franklin appeared in the Tulsa World on February 24.  Here is an excerpt:

"Adoptee Rights"


As a pro-life Oklahoman and an adult adoptee, I wanted to debunk a pervasive myth regarding Adoptee Access Legislation currently being passed in several states across our nation.

 Restoring the unconditional right of adult adoptees to obtain their original birth certificates is a human right supported by The Child Welfare League of America and several other child advocacy and adoption groups... 

 Please go to the link and comment.  Show your support for the restoration of Oklahoma adoptee rights!