OKLAHOMA CITY (April 18, 2024)—Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small issued the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 1737, which was supported by trial lawyers and strongly supported by Paycom, an $11 billion publicly traded company with a track record of attacking conservatives in Oklahoma.

“SB 1737, which could provide a windfall to trial lawyers, is a bill that the author has said is supported by Paycom, which has had a track record of attacking conservatives in public and in the courts because Paycom and its CEO Chad Richison prefer the far-left’s plan for Oklahoma,” Small said.

“SB 1737 amends a current state statute to make it even easier to harass political opponents by allowing someone to pursue civil action for ‘online harassment’ that allegedly impacts a company’s intangible assets. 

“Last session Paycom tried to obliterate current state statutes that protect the free speech rights of Oklahomans to engage in public policy discussions.

“We have all seen the great lengths to which the far left has worked to weaponize the courts against President Donald Trump. Now Paycom and trial lawyers are working to warp a state statute meant to address real crimes into a tool that can be abused to attack the free speech of policy opponents in court.

“I urge all Oklahomans to contact the author and urge him to stop this effort and I also urge Oklahomans to encourage the governor to veto Paycom’s and trial lawyers’ SB 1737, which exists for the purpose of allowing liberals in Oklahoma to weaponize the courts in Oklahoma against conservatives like liberals are trying to do against President Donald Trump.”
 

Photo Credit: Associated Press