Kevin West is an American politician and businessman serving as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 54th district. Elected in November 2016, he first assumed office on January 9, 2017.
Early life and education
West was born in Oklahoma City. He studied construction management at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College for one year.[1]
Career
West was the owner of Sooner Fixtures from 1996 to 2004. From 2004 to 2007, he was a project manager for Wood Systems. He later worked for a cabinetry company before becoming a manager at Precision Casework, a cabinet maker in Oklahoma City.[2]
Oklahoma House of Representatives
He was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in November 2016 and assumed office on January 9, 2017.[2] During the 2017 legislative session, West served as vice chair of the House Rules Committee. He has since served as chair of the House General Government Committee.[3] In 2020, he was re-elected by default.[4]
In 2023, he authored anti-drag legislation in HB 2186. Judd Strom questioned if the bill would "threaten a parent's choice to take their child to a drag queen story hour." Strom and Jason Lowe voted against the bill, but it passed out of the House Judiciary Committee with a vote of 5-2.[5][6]
In 2024, he introduced House Bill 3216, a bill that would ban some birth control contraception, such as IUDs, and create an abortion database to monitor women who have had abortions.[7][8][9]
He also sponsored House Bill 3217 that "would bar state agencies from displaying gay Pride flags on their grounds, and would also prohibit state resources from being used to endorse Pride activities through flyers or even on social media." The intent is to stop Pride events.[10] The ACLU of Oklahoma said the bill was a threat to free speech. A spokesperson for Freedom Oklahoma was against the bill.[11]
In 2024, Steve Kunzweiler supported West's HB 3694 bill that would undo 2016 state question voted on by the people. It was also authored by Julie Daniels and John George.[12] It "would revert the minimum value of goods stolen to qualify as a felony larceny back down from $1,000 to just $500." The bill was criticized by Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform Executive Director Damion Shade.[13]
References
- ^ "Kevin West's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ a b "Representative Kevin West - Oklahoma House of Representatives". www.okhouse.gov. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ "Kevin West". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
- ^ Savage, Tres (2020). "More than 40 Oklahoma legislators re-elected by default". NonDoc.
- ^ "Opponents of legislation targeting drag performers voice concerns". Public Radio Tulsa. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ Weber, Andy (2023-02-22). "Emotions run high as committee passes Oklahoma bill regarding drag shows in public spaces". KOCO. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
- ^ Forman, Carmen. "New Oklahoma bill could allow state to create database of women who had abortions". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ FERGUSON, TOM (2024-02-14). "'Just alarming': Concerns raised over possible action on contraception, tracking abortions". KVII. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "New abortion bill would also restrict contraceptives, IUDs, and create an abortion database". www.fox23.com. 2024-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
- ^ "Oklahoma lawmakers advance LGBTQ Pride display ban". KGOU. 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "Proposed bill would ban state agencies from displaying pride flag in Oklahoma". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "Bill Information". www.oklegislature.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ "Bill on penalizing larceny would undo 2016 state question". 2 News Oklahoma KJRH Tulsa. 2024-03-12. Retrieved 2024-03-14.