By Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – Bills introduced by Oklahoma lawmakers seek to make changes to the state’s cockfighting laws by reducing the penalties for participating or allowing robotic participation in the fights.
But opponents of cockfighting argue that reducing the penalty would send the wrong message to Oklahomans about the “cruel” and “outdated” form of entertainment. They said that voters in the state passed a ballot measure in 2002 making it a felony to own, possess, keep or train fowl with the intent of cockfighting and can carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.
Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, authored House Bills 1313 and 1326, which respectively attempt to reduce the penalty for cockfighting to a misdemeanor and allow a fowl to fight a robot if the rooster is unharmed.
Cockfighting is the practice of forcing two roosters to fight each other, often to the death, for entertainment and regularly includes gambling on outcomes of the fights. The birds are bred and trained for the purpose of fighting.
‘I’m not trying to legalize it,” Humphrey said. “I’m trying to reduce it to a misdemeanor. We’ve reduced dangerous drugs that are killing people … to a misdemeanor, and yet raising a chicken is a felony that carries 10 years. That’s complete stupidity.”
He sponsored a bill in 2024 that passed the House but was never heard in the Senate. It would have authorized voters to reduce violations relating to cockfighting to misdemeanors in each county.
Humphrey said it was a “tough deal” to get his bill passed in the House last year, and these attempts will be more difficult to get support for than last year because of resistance from House leadership. He said he doesn’t expect the bill allowing robots in cockfights to pass, but he wanted to start a conversation and plant the idea in the minds of Oklahomans.
Sen. Tom Woods, R-Westville, also proposed a cockfighting bill, Senate Bill 1111, which would reduce the penalty to a misdemeanor and alter the definitions of what it means to participate in cockfighting.
A first conviction would be a misdemeanor with a $500 fine. A second conviction would still be a misdemeanor, but with a penalty of up to a year in county jail, a fine of $2,500, or both. A third offense would bring the penalty to felony status with a two year sentence, a $5,000 fine, or both.
“This legislation creates options for law enforcement to prosecute this crime more than they are now,” Woods said in a statement. “Currently, there are very few cases being prosecuted because of the level of penalty assessed with the crime and burden on law enforcement to take it to court. If passed, this will still be a crime with felony punishments attached to it while bringing more reasonable penalties into alignment for the offense.”
Brendan Hoover, a coordinator for the Kirkpatrick Policy Group, a nonprofit advocacy group focused on animals, arts, education and reproductive rights, said reducing the penalties for cockfighting sends a message that the crime “isn’t a big deal.”
Enforcement can be difficult, Hoover said, because one almost needs to be caught “red-handed” in a building with fowl fighting to be charged.
Cockfighting has remained a felony since 2002 and the statute was unanimously upheld by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2004, but bills have been introduced time and time again attempting to reduce penalties or legalize the fights, he said.
“But the cockfighters, you know, they don’t want to give up,” Hoover said. “They think it’s part of their heritage. They call it agriculture, you know, they say a lot of things to make it seem like it’s OK and like it’s accepted in Oklahoma, but it’s not, it’s animal cruelty. You’re forcing animals to fight to the death, and you’re betting on it for entertainment.”
