ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>Oklahoma State Senate - News</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="author" content="oklahoma state senate staff"> <meta name="description" content="Oklahoma State Senate - Press Release"> <meta name="keywords" content="oklahoma, state, senate, press, release"> </head> <body leftmargin="0" topmargin="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"> <table width="87%" height="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="this table contains the main navigation menu"> <tr> <td colspan="+2"><!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/barnews.lbi" --> &nbsp;<map name="m_barnews"><area shape="rect" coords="0,0,26,19" href="../../../index.htm" alt="Link to main page" ><area shape="rect" coords="26,0,119,20" href="../../../senators.htm" alt="Link to Senators" ><area shape="rect" coords="124,0,217,20" href="../../../legislation.htm" alt="Link to Legislation" ><area shape="rect" coords="216,0,309,20" href="../../../schedule.htm" alt="Link to Schedule" ><area shape="rect" coords="310,0,403,20" href="../../../committees.htm" alt="Link to Committees" ><area shape="rect" coords="403,0,496,20" href="../../../publications.htm" alt="Link to Publications" ><area shape="rect" coords="498,2,591,20" href="../../../news.htm" alt="Link to News" ><area shape="rect" coords="593,0,689,20" href="../../../staff.htm" alt="Link to Staff" ></map><!-- #EndLibraryItem --></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="100%"> <table width="100%" height="227%" border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="this table contains the news navigation menu"> <tr> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="100%"></td> </tr> </table> <br> </td> <td width="100%"><table width="82%" border="0" align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="this table contains the main content of the page"> <tr> <TD width="75%"> <p align="center"><FONT SIZE="+3" FACE="Arial" align="center"><strong>Oklahoma State Senate <br> </strong></font><FONT align="center">Senator Todd Lamb, R-Edmond<br> </font>Majority floor leader<br> (405) 521-5632<FONT align="center"><strong> </strong></font></p> <div align="center"> <table width="10%" border="0" align="center"> <tr> <td width="48%" bordercolor="0"><div align="center"><font face="Arial"><a href="pr20100427bpv.html"><img src="../../printnews.gif" alt="Printer-friendly version" width="25" height="25" border="0"></a></font></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td bordercolor="0"><div align="center"><a href="pr20100517apv.html">Print</a></div></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p align="center">For Immediate Release: May 17, 2010<br> <br> <img src="../senator_photos/lamb_bio.jpg" alt="Sen. Todd Lamb" width="143" height="200"> <br> Sen. Todd Lamb</p> <p align="center"><br> <b>Lamb Works to Eliminate Human Trafficking</b></p> <p><strong style="font-weight: 400">The Oklahoma State Senate gave unanimous approval to a measure by Majority Floor Leader Todd Lamb that strengthens laws against human trafficking, which is now the second-largest world-wide criminal activity, behind illegal drugs.<br> <br> Lamb said Senate Bill 956 will give Oklahoma the most stringent laws to combat human trafficking, sending a strong message to sexual predators that they are not welcome in Oklahoma. <br> <br>  As a former Secret Service Agent, I know how important it is for federal agents to be able to work with local law enforcement in a productive manner. The goal of this legislation is to forge a seamless relationship that stops the abhorrent practice of human trafficking. <br> <br> Lamb added,  This legislation has been a two year project that will bring Oklahoma law up-to-date by defining human trafficking activity and provide for tougher punishment against those who make the exploitation of human beings a criminal enterprise. <br> <br> Mark Elam, Executive Director of Oklahomans Against Trafficking Humans (OATH), cited the importance of this legislation.<br> <br>  Because of the lack of information and lack of enforcement against these criminals, this activity has accelerated with Oklahoma serving as a major interstate crossroads, said Elam.  It has gone unnoticed and unreported, but with awareness and enforcement we can really start dealing with this issue. <br> <br> Elam added that because of SB 956, local law enforcement will now be able to get on board in the issue of human trafficking so that more than just a handful of FBI agents are left to handle the entire caseload.<br> <br> Lamb said as a father of two young children, he was particularly concerned about the exploitation of Oklahoma s youth.</strong></p> <p><strong style="font-weight: 400"> One of the most primary responsibilities of government is to protect those that are the most vulnerable. This legislation will do just that. <br> <br> Now that Senate Bill 956 has passed both houses, it will head to the Governor s desk for his consideration and approval.</strong></p> <p><strong>For more information, contact: </strong><br> Sen. Lamb: (405) 521-5632</p> <p align="left" style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><img src="../bandblue.gif" alt="Inon: Horizontal Blue Band" width="640" height="6"></p> <table border=0 align="center" summary="this table contains return links"> <tr> <td width="249"> <center> <font size="-1" face="MS Sans Serif"><a href="pr201004.html">April Press Releases </a>| </font><font face="MS Sans Serif"><a href="../../press_releases.html"><font size="-1">Press Releases</font></a></font><font size="-1"> </font> </center></td> </tr> </table></tr> <tr valign="top"> <td height="100%">&nbsp;</td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>