Oklahoma Capitol news briefs, June 30

An assistant attorney general who is a litigation team leader will be the director of the new office of civil rights enforcement, Attorney General Scott Pruitt said Friday. Assistant Attorney General Daniel Weitman will be the new director of the civil rights office. The civil rights office, a part of the attorney general's office, replaces the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission, which was eliminated in legislation passed last year. Weitman will meet with religious, government and civic groups from throughout the state to answer questions about specific state and federal roles in civil rights enforcement and how the new office will function. The office of civil rights enforcement initially will consist of the director and three investigators and will enforce the anti-discrimination statutes in Oklahoma. Starting Monday, Oklahomans who need to report a civil rights violation may call 521-2029, email OCRE@oag.ok.gov or go online and complete a complaint form at the attorney general's website, www.oag.ok.gov.

Case comes back to Oklahoma City

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver on Friday sent a case involving a state corrections workers association back to Oklahoma City federal court. The appellate court took the action Friday after reviewing an Oklahoma Supreme Court opinion that a provision in state law that requires an association to have at least 2,000 state employees as members to qualify for payroll deduction could be removed if it's found to be unconstitutional. Justices unanimously made the decision after being asked by the Denver-based appellate court, which is considering an appeal by the Oklahoma Corrections Professional Association. The group was unsuccessful in getting the provision overturned in Oklahoma City federal court. State law originally required associations to have 1,000 members to qualify for dues payment through payroll deduction of state employees. Lawmakers changed state law in 2008 when the Oklahoma Corrections Professional Association had reached about 1,900 members.