{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Toni Hasenbeck | image = Toni_Hasenbeck.jpg | caption = | state_house = Oklahoma | district = 65th | term_start = November 15, 2018 | term_end = | predecessor = Scooter Park | successor = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|8|17}} | birth_place = | party = Republican (2018-present) | other_party = Democratic (2014-2018) }}
'''Toni Hasenbeck''' (born August 17, 1971) is an American politician who has served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 65th district since 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kswo.com/story/38536529/local-candidates-vie-for-house-district-65/ |title=Local candidates vie for House District 65 |publisher=Kswo.com |date=2018-06-28 |accessdate=2020-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.okhouse.gov/MEMBERS/District.aspx?District=65 |title=Representative Toni Hasenbeck |publisher=Okhouse.gov |date= |accessdate=2020-08-03}}</ref>
==Oklahoma House of Representatives== Hasenbeck ran in the 2014 state house election to succeed Joe Dorman as a member of the Democratic Party.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Troxtell |first1=Adam |title=Race for Joe Dorman's State House seat heats up |url=https://www.chickashanews.com/race-for-joe-dormans-state-house-seat-heats-up/article_2c503376-33cf-11e4-a83e-001a4bcf887a.html |access-date=3 March 2022 |work=Chickasha Express Star |date=4 September 2014 |language=en}}</ref> She was defeated by Scooter Park, who she defeated in the 2018 primary election as a member of the Republican Party. She criticized Park's vote to raise taxes to fund teacher wages.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wendler |first1=Emily |title=Education And Tax Vote Winning And Costing Oklahoma Candidates Elections |url=https://www.kgou.org/education/2018-08-09/education-and-tax-vote-winning-and-costing-oklahoma-candidates-elections |website=KGOU |access-date=3 March 2022 |language=en |date=9 August 2018}}</ref>
===58th Legislature=== In April 2021, Rep. Hasenbeck revived a bill by Justin Humphrey that would ban transgender athletes from participating in women's sports.<ref name="AP17Ap2021">{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Sean |title=GOP Oklahoma lawmaker criticized for transgender comments |url=https://apnews.com/article/legislature-oklahoma-bills-oklahoma-city-5db54da2949c3398d3fc7c53714bdc36 |access-date=17 April 2021 |publisher=AP |date=15 April 2021}}</ref> She justified her support using trans exclusionary feminist language saying "this is not an anti-transgender bill at all... this is an absolutely pro-female-athlete bill."<ref name="9Apr2021">{{cite news |last1=Forman |first1=Carmen |title=Oklahoma lawmakers advance bill to ban transgender athletes from female sports |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/09/oklahoma-weighs-ban-transgender-athletes-from-girls-womens-school-sports/7142147002/ |access-date=17 April 2021 |publisher=The Oklahoman |date=9 April 2021}}</ref> Rep. Mauree Turner criticized the legislation saying "denying the existence of trans children is absolutely absurd."<ref name="9Apr2021" />
=== 59th Legislature === After a mid-September 2022 Oklahoma House interim study brought by Hasenbeck, where criminalized survivor April Wilkens's story and others were used to explain the need for new legislation that could give second look resentencing to many currently in Oklahoma prisons,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krehbiel |first=Randy |date=14 September 2022 |title=Fighting back often lands domestic violence targets in jail, legislative panel told |work=Tulsa World |url=https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/fighting-back-often-lands-domestic%5b1%5dviolence-targets-in-jail-legislative-panel-told/article_7fb8b362-338f-11ed-a52c-1f5ec1b032d6.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Interim Study 22-019: Criminalized Domestic Violence Survivors |url=https://www.okhouse.gov/Documents/InterimStudies/2022/22-019_Criminalized%20Domestic%20Violence%20Survivors_Oklahoma%20Appleseed%20Center%20for%20Law%20&%20Justice_presentation.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=OK House Studies Criminalized Survivorship |url=https://okappleseed.org/articles/f/ok-house-studies-criminalized-survivorship}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022 |title=Advocates seek to stop criminalizing domestic abuse survivors |work=Enid News & Eagle |url=https://www.enidnews.com/news/advocates-seek-to-stop-criminalizing-domestic-abuse-survivors/article_6ce0962a-346f-11ed-b246-a365995d0a9b.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022 |title=When moms fight back: Stories from the Capitol |work=VNN |url=https://app.verifiednews.network/articles/share/2525}}</ref> she authored and filed HB 1639 in January 2023—a failed bill that would have allowed "a survivor to enter into a lesser sentencing range when evidence of abuse has been substantiated."<ref name=":42">{{Cite news |last=Harlow |first=Brittany |date=18 February 2023 |title=Legislation to help criminalized survivors get justice filed in Oklahoma |work=VNN |url=https://app.verifiednews.network/articles/share/2831}}</ref> Hasenbeck has said “For whatever reason women have this problem in the court system that they end up with larger prison sentences then typically the men that were producing the acts to lead to the final act."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Brenna |date=4 February 2023 |title='It would mean that they finally believe us': New bill targets domestic abuse survivors |work=KTUL |url=https://ktul.com/news/local/it-would-mean-that-they-finally-believe-us-new-bill-targets-domestic-abuse-survivors#}}</ref> At least 156 women at Mabel Bassett wrote "letters claiming to have experienced intimate partner violence at the time their crime was committed."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rose |first=Brenna |date=2022 |title=Survived and Sentenced: Are Oklahoma's laws failing domestic violence survivors? |work=KTUL |url=https://ktul.com/news/local/survived-and-sentenced-are-oklahomas-laws-failing-domestic-violence-survivors#}}</ref>
Also in 2023, Hasenbeck introduced legislation that would ban trans surgery for children.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Youth sex-change-surgery ban clears another hurdle |url=https://www.ocpathink.org/post/independent-journalism/youth-sex-change-surgery-ban-clears-another-hurdle |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs |language=en}}</ref>
In 2024, Hasenbeck introduced Domestic Abuse Survivorship Act. The bill requires courts to consider physical, sexual, economic, and psychological abuse in cases of homicide She said the bill would allow currently-imprisoned people with similar cases to petition for sentencing relief."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hasenbeck Passes Domestic Abuse Survivorship Act Through Committee |url=https://www.okhouse.gov/posts/news-20240209_1 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Oklahoma House of Representatives |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Information |url=http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb%203640&Session=2400 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.oklegislature.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Weber |first=Andy |date=2024-02-08 |title=Oklahoma bill to help abuse victims convicted of murder advances at state Capitol |url=https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-bill-abuse-victims-convicted-of-murder-advances-committee/46687597 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=KOCO |language=en}}</ref>
==2026 state superintendent campaign== Hasenbeck filed to run for Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction in the 2026 Oklahoma elections.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Olsson |first1=Faithanna |title=Statewide, federal races: 15 file for governor, Oklahoma auditor wins by default |url=https://nondoc.com/2026/04/03/statewide-federal-races-15-file-for-governor-oklahoma-auditor-wins-by-default/ |access-date=April 11, 2026 |work=NonDoc |date=April 4, 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Oklahoma House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hasenbeck, Toni}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Anti-pornography activists Category:Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives Category:21st-century members of the Oklahoma Legislature Category:Women state legislators in Oklahoma