By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that would bar new homeless shelters from opening within 3,000 feet of a school.
Senate Bill 484 would apply to every city and town in the state that has populations under 300,000. Only Oklahoma City and Tulsa had populations over that threshold, according to the most recent U.S. Census data.
It would allow churches to open homeless shelters regardless of distance from a school.
Existing homeless shelters already within that slightly more than half-mile distance would be grandfathered in, meaning they could still operate. It would not apply to domestic violence or youth shelters.
Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman, the author of the legislation, made significant changes to the bill to make it less restrictive. It no longer applies to libraries, churches and preschools, she said.
Standridge said the measure is necessary to protect children.
Some nonprofit groups are distributing clean needles, condoms and bongs to homeless shelters, she said. The items should not be around children, she said.
Standridge said the measure applied to cities and towns under 300,000 people because larger cities have more resources to help the homeless.
Sen. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, said the buffer zone between sex offender residences and schools is 2,000 feet.
Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, said there will still be drug activity in neighborhoods surrounding schools.
He questioned whether the bill was broad state overreach.
Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, said city councils can pass ordinances governing the issue.
“This bill acts like it solves a problem but it doesn’t,” said Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman.
It creates the “illusion” that it is doing something, Boren said.
Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, said the measure does not do anything to address the causes of homelessness such as addiction, poverty and mental illness. She said some homeless students are living in the shelters.
“All this is is a spacing bill,” Standridge said. “This does not close homeless shelters.”
The bill narrowly passed by a vote of 26-20 and is available for consideration in the House.
