The attorney general's office filed a motion Monday to dismiss a lawsuit challenging House Bill 1804, which goes into effect on Thursday, November 1. The law bars illegal immigrants from getting jobs and state benefits and makes it a felony to harbor or transport illegal immigrants. While the new law has received a great deal of attention, there is still some confusion over what effect it will have. The News On 6 has received several e-mails from private business owners, asking what they have to do this week to comply with the new law. The News On 6’s Chris Wright reports the simple answer is nothing, for now.

"Well confusion is rampant for sure, people really don't understand the law," said Homebuilders Association President Glen Shaw.

As head of the Homebuilders Association, Glen Shaw has received plenty of calls from local contractors about House Bill 1804. He says many are not sure what changes, if any, they need to make before the November 1 deadline.

"Technically it won't have an effect on us this week, but it's had an effect on us for several months now," Shaw said.

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Labels: HB 1804, Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 9:48 AM |   

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 9:27 AM |   

The law makes it a felony to transport or shelter illegal immigrants. Businesses, which are barred by federal law from hiring illegal immigrants, can be sued by a legal worker who is displaced by an illegal one.

The measure denies illegal immigrants certain public benefits such as rental assistance and fuel subsidies.

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Related: Priest present petition to Gov. Henry vowing to break the law.

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 8:17 AM |   

From the zTruth blog:


Oklahoma's anti-illegal foreign national law is set to go into effect November 1st. But there are signs this law will not stop illegal foreign nationals from getting some free services from agencies. Naturally, the cost for these "free services" are paid for by taxpayers.

Recently, the citizens of Oklahoma learned the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority voted to approve pregnant illegals with free health care. So if you are illegal you don't need to worry - we will take care of you and your child with free health care because the taxpayers will pay for it for you. I wonder, if you are a citizen and pregnant are these same services available to you, as well? I think I'll give the Healthcare Authority a call and report back.

Today, I read, illegal foreign nationals will also get free flu shots at taxpayer expense! Isn't this great for them? Read more...

Related:

Okie Funk: New Law Creates Quagmire

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 7:35 AM |   

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 10:12 AM |   

Red Dirt Political Report: A political blog from M. Scott Carter, political reporter for the Norman Transcript and the Moore American

It doesn’t take an act by the Oklahoma State Legislature to know it’s wrong to steal. Nor do we need a gubernatorial proclamation that lying, cheating on your spouse or killing someone are not the best of ideas.

Because, long before members of the Oklahoma House and Senate convened in their marble chambers at 23rd and Lincoln there were rules of conduct.

The Bible’s 10 commandments were a pretty good start.

From there, society was given the “Golden Rule” — based on Matthew 7:12. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

That simple idea has been the basis for our modern concept of human rights since the time of Christ.

But right now it’s taking it on the chin.

Especially here in Oklahoma.

With state Representative Randy Terrill’s anti-immigrant bill now law, Oklahoma has set aside its moral principals and, in the process, lost its humanity. Read more...

Labels: Immigration Reform, OK Legislature, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 1:54 PM |   

News 9 Report: Rep. Terrill vs OKC Police Chief Bill Citty



Related:

OK Legislators' Blog: Rep. Jason Murphey: "Taking Your Money And Giving It To Illegal Aliens"

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 11:00 AM |   

"There is no hard evidence of any cost savings at all, so I would certainly call upon the governor not to sign the rule. I know he said he would. I would ask him to reconsider his position on that," said state Rep. Randy Terrill

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Labels: Brad Henry, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 10:30 AM |   

Tulsa World

An Oklahoma Health Care Authority proposal to allow all pregnant women to receive prenatal care sets a "dangerous precedent" and subsidizes illegal activity, said state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore.

The OHCA is expected to consider the proposal to "add pregnancy related benefits to improve health outcomes for children who are citizens at birth" at its regular monthly meeting this week.

The OHCA is the state's Medicaid agency, which administered a budget of $3.2 billion to help Oklahoma's poor during the last fiscal year.

The federal government mandates that states pay for labor and delivery services for undocumented women and allows states to choose whether to provide prenatal care.

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Labels: Brad Henry, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 9:11 AM |   

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 10:56 AM |   

Labels: Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 10:45 AM |   

Labels: Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 2:06 PM |   

The Journal Record

OKLAHOMA CITY – The portions of the new Oklahoma immigration law dealing directly with private businesses won’t take effect until July 2008. But some of the law’s provisions targeted toward state agencies become effective Nov. 1.

House Bill 1804, by state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Brad Henry in May. Dubbed by its author as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, the law will require state agencies to check the citizenship status of applicants for public services, such as welfare programs, starting Nov. 1.

The new law will make it more difficult to obtain a state-issued identification card or a driver’s license, requiring all applicants to provide documentation of their citizenship. Employees who legally immigrated to the U.S. and who previously had been issued a state-issued identification card or driver’s license will not be able to renew those documents if their immigration documents expire.

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Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 8:50 AM |   

"This isn't about whether you are for or against immigration, or for or against immigrants. It doesn't matter what your skin color is or if you speak with an accent. What matters is if you are in the country legally or illegally. The only people threatened by House Bill 1804 are those who choose to break the law." Rep. Randy Terrill (R) Moore

Thousands of Hispanics have fled the Tulsa, Okla., area in the shadow of a looming state law that limits benefits and mandates deportation for illegal aliens, according to a report from KTUL television in Tulsa.

The state of Oklahoma recently approved a new law that requires deportation for illegal aliens who are arrested, and limits benefits and jobs to those individuals. The report said in East Tulsa, where a community of Hispanics has grown over recent years, there's been a sudden drop in population.

Business owner Simon Navarro has been in business there 11 years, and said the tough law has chased away 30 percent of the state's Hispanic population.

"Two months ago I heard 25,000 Hispanics have left Oklahoma," he told the station. "They are leaving. A lot have already left. "People are leaving," he said. "They're scared of the sheriff."
Read more...

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 12:26 PM |   

A new issue brief from Community Action Project (CAP) examines Oklahoma's new immigration bill, HB 1804, which is slated to take effect November 1st.

The brief offers a section-by-section analysis of the bill and explores how its provisions relate to current law and practice in such areas as public benefits, identity cards, employment and law enforcement. It is designed to assist public and private stakeholders in the immigration issue understand how the bill applies to them.

Among the issue brief's key findings:

Many sections of HB 1804 may either duplicate or mirror what is already in state or federal law or simply put into statute what is already occurring in practice in Oklahoma.

The bill does not challenge the constitutionally-guaranteed right of all children to attend school and receive all educational services, regardless of legal status.

While the bill requires verification of legal status for those applying for "public benefits", the established definition of public benefits in state and federal law is limited to certain well-defined government programs, which already are unavailable to unauthorized immigrants.

Read entire brief here.

Labels: CAP, Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 5:24 PM |   

From USA Today:

By Randy Terrill

With Congress gridlocked over immigration issues, Oklahoma and a few other states are leading the way on real reform — and rightfully so.

After all, the tremendous economic burden created by illegal immigration is felt most at the state and local level — particularly when it comes to education, health care, welfare and corrections. In Oklahoma alone, the direct cost of illegal immigration is more than $200 million a year. The indirect cost is far higher, and this is a relatively small state.

But even if you ignore the costs, states still have good reason to act. States are separate sovereigns in our federal system. They have the inherent legal right and a constitutional responsibility to provide internal domestic security, as well as to protect our citizens from waste, fraud and abuse.

In Oklahoma, we have taken that responsibility seriously by enacting a carefully calibrated, common-sense, real immigration reform measure that many have called the toughest in the nation. Read more...

Related:

Enid News & Eagle: "Republican women host rally, speakers"

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 2:47 PM |   

With the Senate taking up the illegal immigration bill once again, the Washington Post reports that over 1,100 pieces of legislation were written in the state legislatures this year to address the problem. Rep. Terrill's quotes from the article are below:

"Illegal immigrants will not come to Oklahoma if there are no jobs waiting for them," said state Rep. Randy Terrill (R), who wrote his state's law, one of the most sweeping in the country. "They will not stay here if there are no government subsidies, and they certainly will not stay here if they know that if they come in contact with one of our officers, they will be physically detained until they are deported." Read more...

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 1:33 PM |   

Video also includes clips from national broadcasts on passage of HB 1804

Labels: Immigration Reform, Rep. Randy Terrill, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 8:28 AM |   

Lawmakers in the House on Wednesday approved an omnibus Republican immigration reform package with overwhelming bipartisan support, sending the measure to the state Senate for consideration.

"We've done the heavy lifting, and now it's time for the Senate and the governor to work with us to pass real immigration reform for Oklahoma," said Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore), author of House Bill 1804. "We haven't heard much publicly from the governor on this issue, but Oklahomans are rallying for the strongest reforms in the nation. It's my hope that all parties can work together to enact this bill into law."

"Our immigration reform plan is about respect for the rule of law and ensuring that our state's social safety net isn't strained to the breaking point," said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah). "Illegal immigration is a hidden tax on hardworking families in this state. It's costing us hundreds of millions of dollars a year. The federal government has ignored the problem, so we're going to take action now in Oklahoma."

House Bill 1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayer & Citizen Protection Act of 2007, has the support of two national immigration reform advocacy groups. Called the most meaningful immigration reform effort in the nation, the measure is a key part of the House GOP's Safe Families platform in the Year of Ideas Agenda.

A key element in House Bill 1804, the Basic Pilot Program, uses federal databases to determine work eligibility.

Oklahoma would be among the first in the nation to enroll in the program, and employers would be required to use the database system to confirm employees' legal status. Several Oklahoma employers already use the system, and Terrill said Basic Pilot would reduce the possibility of discrimination in the work environment.

"This system provides a quick, fair and streamlined way for employers to check on the legal status of new hires,"

said Terrill. "And it ensures that all new hires are treated equally, without regard to things like ethnicity. "Terrill said that opponents of immigration reform have tried to sidetrack the debate with inaccurate and overheated claims about discrimination. Terrill said that Oklahoma and the United States should welcome legal immigrants with open arms.

"Legal immigration is part of what makes America great. The melting pot of legal immigrants who come to Oklahoma makes our state great," said Terrill. "But there's a stark difference between legal and illegal immigration. I've likened our illegal immigration crisis to the 'broken window' analogy. If you have one broken window in a neighborhood and do nothing to repair it, you'll soon have a neighborhood full of broken windows. That's the situation we have with illegal immigration, only we're faced with broken borders. As a nation we have looked the other way and ignored the problem for too long."

Labels: Immigration Reform, OK House, Rep. Randy Terrill, Spkr. Cargill

Posted at 7:40 AM |   

The Oklahoma House is slated to vote on Bill 1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayer & Citizen Protection Act of 2007, at approximately 1:30 p.m. The measure has been called the most meaningful reform effort in the nation by the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI).

Authored by Rep. Terrill, the measure is a key part of the House Republican majority's legislative agenda.

Labels: Immigration Reform, OK House, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 9:41 AM |   

House GOP will advance "most meaningful immigration reform in the nation"

House Republicans leaders said today they will advance the nation's most meaningful immigration reform law this week when a House committee takes up House Bill 1804, an omnibus reform measure.

"Our immigration reform effort is about upholding Oklahoma's rule of law and respecting immigrants who come to our country legally," said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah). "We must do more to make sure that Oklahoma's social safety net is not strained to the breaking point by illegal immigration."

Rep. Randy Terrill, author of House Bill 1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayer & Citizen Protection Act of 2007, said the measure is scheduled to be heard by the full House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. in room 412-C at the State Capitol. The measure is a key part of the House GOP's Safe Families platform in the Year of Ideas Agenda.

Terrill said that on Feb. 28, in addition to the bill's presentation in committee, representatives from the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) will also demonstrate a key element of House Bill 1804, the federal status verification system, called the Basic Pilot Program. The demonstration will take place at 9 a.m. in room 512A at the State Capitol.

Basic Pilot uses federal databases to determine work eligibility. Oklahoma would be among the first in the nation to enroll in the program, and employers would be required to use the database system to confirm employees' legal status.

"Our federal government hasn't stopped illegal immigration, so it's up to states to lead the way," said Terrill (R-Moore). "This is about respect for our nation's laws and our state's laws. If you have one broken window in a neighborhood and do nothing to repair it, you'll soon have a neighborhood full of broken windows. That's the situation we have with illegal immigration. As a nation we have looked the other way and ignored the problem for too long."

The Washington, D.C.-based Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) calls House Bill 1804 the most meaningful immigration reform bill in the nation. The IRLI says that, if enacted, HB 1804 will be the most significant single step that any state has taken in this area.

"This is an excellent piece of legislation that carefully balances critical enforcement obligations with respect for the dignity and privileges of U.S. citizens and legal alien residents," said Michael Hethmon, general counsel for the IRLI. "House Bill 1804 gives workers, law abiding businesses, and the taxpayers who fund Oklahoma public services the protection they need against unfair competition."

Labels: Immigration Reform, OK House, Rep. Randy Terrill

Posted at 12:20 PM |