Clemishire Act, Trey’s Law Measures Die In Oklahoma Legislature
A national movement to void agreements that silence sex abuse victims slammed into a barrier Thursday when the Oklahoma Legislature killed two reform measures, one named after a state resident.
One proposal, dubbed the “Cindy Clemishire Act,” would have eliminated the statute of limitations for prosecuting child sexual abuse crimes in Oklahoma. It is named after an Edmond resident who accused Gateway Church founder Robert Morris of sexually abusing her in the 1980s.
Morris pleaded guilty last year to the abuse and served six months in jail, with the rest of a ten-year sentence suspended. The second proposal was “Trey’s Law,” which would void nondisclosure agreements in civil settlements involving child sexual abuse and trafficking victims
The measures were blocked by Sen. Julie Daniels (R-Bartlesville) leaving Oklahoma one of six states that have not fully eliminated criminal statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse and trafficking.
The state House unanimously passed House Bill 4227. The Senate Judiciary Committee also unanimously approved Senate Bill 740. However, both measures stalled on the Senate floor.
The House later unanimously approved substitute language in SB 740 that included provisions from HB 4227. Still, lawmakers adjourned Thursday without considering either bill.
Speaking with reporters in Oklahoma City on Friday, Daniels said a provision raising the age under which victims could come forward was “a deal breaker” that caused her to block the measure from a floor vote. The current cutoff age is 45; the measure would have raised the age limit to 54.
“The statute of limitations is there to protect the innocent, not to punish a victim, and the further you get away from the time in which a crime may have been committed or is alleged to have been committed, the more difficult it is for a defendant to mount a successful defense, and that is why you have a statute of limitations,” Daniels said at the Friday press briefing.
“To focus on simply one particular story, which was very traumatic, and one which I sympathize with greatly, I have to look at the balance of what does this also do on the defense side,” she added.
Daniels, who formerly chaired the judiciary committee, also objected to making Trey’s law retroactive. It would have barred the use of nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, in future sexual abuse case settlements and also nullify those previously agreed.
“When you start making things retroactive, people who may have taken actions that they thought they could count on, that’s now all upset and not good for the balance in the system,” Daniels said.
The floor leader said she would create a panel of district attorneys and others to review the measure and suggest amendments to the law for the next legislative session, which begins Feb. 1, 2027.
Advocates criticized Senate leadership for allowing the legislation to expire despite broad bipartisan support throughout the session. The proposals received 199 “yes” votes and no opposing votes during committee and chamber consideration.
The legislation drew national attention because of a case involving Clemishire, whose allegations became public in 2024 when she was in her 50s. Given her age, Oklahoma authorities pursued charges through what advocates described as a loophole in state law allowing nonresidents to be exempted from any statutes of limitation.
Survivors and advocates pledged Thursday to return to the Oklahoma Legislature next year.
“We may not have made it to the governor’s desk before adjournment, but we are leaving the Capitol today with our heads held high and full of hope,” Clemishire said in a statement. “The unanimous support we received this session proves that most legislators are ready to protect victims of childhood sexual abuse through these common-sense measures.”
Clemishire thanked bill sponsors Rep. Chris Kannady and Sen. Darrell Weaver and said advocates planned to continue working toward passage next session.
Elizabeth Phillips, founder of No More Victims and sister of the late Trey Carlock, also criticized Senate leadership while promising the effort would continue.
“It is disappointing that Senate leadership blocked a Floor vote without giving us reason, but the journey to protect survivors doesn’t end with the closing gavel,” Phillips said in a statement. “We have built an incredible foundation of bipartisan support this year, and that momentum isn’t going away.”
“Trey’s Law” is named for Trey Carlock, who was sexually abused by former Kanakuk Kamps employee Pete Newman. Newman is serving multiple life sentences in prison.
Supporters said Carlock later pursued civil litigation involving others connected to the abuse but signed a restrictive NDA that prevented him from speaking publicly. Carlock died by suicide at age 28.
Versions of “Trey’s Law” have passed unanimously in Texas, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana. Federal legislation also advanced unanimously through the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, who also spoke with reporters Friday, tried to quell criticism of the Senate’s failure to advance the measures.
“Senator Daniels has been working on this ever since she arrived here, working on Judiciary Committee,” he said. “She knows a lot about it, and there were so many opposing voices in this on both sides of the issue that you all never saw, that I didn’t see, that she was, she was hearing that it got to the point it was just time to put that thing on pause.”
This piece is republished with permission from The Roys Report.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the faith and family reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.