[6] Justin Humphrey has made several efforts to introduce cockfighting legislation that has led to the outcry from animal rights advocates and the former attorney general.
"[9] In 2023, Humphrey introduced HB 2530,[10] to allow county-specific elections to reduce from felonies to misdemeanors the criminal penalties related to cockfighting.
[12] The Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission, "a pro-cockfighting political action committee," donated $1,000 to Humphrey "and he is listed on one report as receiving support from the organization when it spent $178.12 on a checkbook from First United Bank in Durant.
"[13] In 2023 Dave Rader co-authored House Bill 1792 with Mike Osburn[14] that would lessen the penalties of and cockfighting dogfighting in Oklahoma, which sparked pushback from animal rights advocates.
It would have also lessened the penalties for cockfighting in the state, similar to House Bill 2530, authored by Justin Humphrey and Paxton, which also died in the same timeframe.
"[19] The statement was criticized by former Governor Frank Keating, former attorney general Drew Edmondson, and animal rights groups as an endorsement of the commission's efforts to reduce the penalty for cockfighting in Oklahoma to a misdemeanor.
[21] After Stitt's video message, the Gamefowl Commission asked its members to oppose the nomination of Sara E. Hill to the federal judiciary, saying, "our governor, Kevin Stitt, has asked that we call and email Senators Lankford and Mullin to rescind their approval of Ms. Sara Hill as a federal judge in Northern Oklahoma.