Senate Review ( By State Sen. Warren Hamilton)

I have been privileged to work with Rep. Rick West of Heavener and to be the senate author for HB 1118. For the past two years we have worked on this bill, which would amend our state statute so that only U.S. citizens may hold a commission and serve as a peace officer in the state of Oklahoma. If you’re like me, you’d be floored at the knowledge that someone who isn’t even an American citizen might be authorized to arrest Americans. In America.
Now, you may be asking, “why is it wrong to have foreigners enforcing our laws? Don’t they already serve in our military?”  The answer to the second question is, unfortunately, yes, and is a glaring indicator of the unwillingness of Americans – from every state – to serve their country. For now, I’ll answer the question of why we don’t want non-U.S. citizens serving as peace officers.
As a peace officer (OSBI, OBN, police officer, deputy sheriff, campus police, etc.), an unfortunate reality of duty is that we are occasionally called on to deprive people of their liberty. This can take the form of a detention, or in severe cases, an arrest. Our entire legal system is established on the self-evident truth that a person’s liberty is their most valuable possession. It’s why the burden of proof in a civil suit (where the penalty is only money) is “preponderance of the evidence,” and in a criminal proceeding (where the penalty is loss of life or liberty) is “beyond a reasonable doubt,” and why an officer must have probable cause before arresting or detaining. This is a uniquely American idea, by the way.
The military and the police share many common characteristics, but the military does not conduct police operations inside the borders of the United States, with the exception of military police on base. They defend, but do not arrest. That is the job of the police – peace officers. Law enforcement has a difficult enough job as it is with the rampant lack of respect for authority today. This problem will only continue to grow if we have foreign law enforcement officers arresting Americans in America. I’ve spent a large portion of my life outside the U.S. and have no plans to ever leave the country again.
Don’t make the mistake of dismissing what I’ve said. China, yes, the Chinese Communist Party, is already operating from an established police station in New York so that “they can help us police their citizens.” This isn’t some conspiracy theory. Fox News and Newsmax have both reported on it, and several Republican lawmakers are asking the Biden administration and the Department of Justice for answers. Let that sink in – the government of a communist nation, whose driving ambition is to destroy the United States, has a police station inside our borders.  
Friends, if we can’t find enough candidates for law enforcement service from within our own countrymen, then shame on us. When we once again start asking what we can do for our country, we will have people – American people – lined up for a career in law enforcement. God bless you, God bless Oklahoma, and God bless America.
Thank you for allowing me to serve you in the state Senate. If there’s anything I can help you with, please feel free to reach out to my office. You can contact me at 405-521-5604 or warren.hamilton@oksenate.gov.