By AP
Undated – Nearly 200 new Okla. laws to take effect this week
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Oklahomans who drive drunk or fail to stop for a school bus loading or unloading children will face stiff new penalties beginning on Tuesday.
That is when nearly 200 new Oklahoma laws are scheduled to take effect. They range from changes to the way civil lawsuits are handled to new restrictions on abortion and criminal justice reforms.
The enhanced penalties for drunken driving and a separate law that imposes tough punishments on reckless drivers both are the result of legislation pushed by constituents who lost loved ones in traffic accidents.
Other new laws include changes to the state's criminal justice system that are designed to reduce the number of inmates in state prisons.