Published: April 16, 2007 07:05 pm

Senate passes immigration measure with little opposition

By Jaclyn Houghton
CNHI

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma senators passed a bill Monday that would, among other things, place harsher penalties on companies knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

The half-dozen senators who opposed the bill believe it is a “mean-spirited” measure that will bring more lawsuits, clog prisons and not reduce the number of individuals illegally entering the state.

“This bill is a sham…this bill creates more problems than it solves,” said Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, D-Tulsa.

The majority of other senators did not agree. The bill, House Bill 1804, authored by Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, and Sen. James Williamson, R-Tulsa, passed out of the Senate with at 41-6 vote.

The immigration measure would require public employers to verify the residency status of new employees; would require local and state law enforcement to detain illegal immigrants; would require anyone seeking state identification to prove residency or citizenship; and would terminate government subsidies like health care and welfare for illegal immigrants.

The original bill that passed out of the House with an 88-9 vote included a provision that would have repealed a statute that allows in-state tuition to some illegal immigrants. The Senate changed that portion of the bill by allowing children of illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for more than two years and graduated from a high school in Oklahoma to be eligible for in-state tuition as long as they are pursuing citizenship. This provision would not affect current college students.

“Immigration is an incredibly important issue the people are finally waking up to,” Williamson said.

He said people call it “mean-spirited toward Hispanics,” but the word “Hispanic” is not in the bill. Several members of the business community are not in support of the bill, but Williamson said it is a way to protect those who are following the rules. He said it is time to address the immigration issue.

“If we don’t deal with this issue, we won’t be able to in another 10 years,” Williamson said.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, said he used to believe immigration was strictly a federal issue, but he said if the state waits for the federal government to do something the problem will get much worse.

“This is as much about exploitation of people than it is anything,” he said.

Corn said people coming to this country are often taken advantage of, underpaid and live in poor conditions.

Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa, agreed.

“All the treatment we wouldn’t stomach for citizens we allow for migrant workers,” he said.

Sen. Harry Coates, R-Seminole, was the only Republican who opposed the bill. He said there will be countless lawsuits because of the bill and businesses in the state will struggle to find the necessary workers to stay in business.

“Businesses cannot hire, currently, enough domestic workers to perform labor intensive and distasteful tasks,” he said.

Under the bill, any individual who knowingly conceals, harbors, shelters, transports or attempts to transport an illegal immigrant, would face a felony offense punishable by one-year imprisonment or at least a $1,000 fine.

Sen. Richard Lerblance, D-Hartshorne, believes this will cause extra burden on the Department of Corrections.

“You’re making a burden on the county jailers to go out” and make more arrests, he said. “They’re already overcrowded; they’re already underfunded.”

Others warned of racial profiling.

Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, said he received an e-mail in which an unidentified person called him a “bast--d” if he does not vote for the immigration bill.

“The same guy that will call me a 'bast--d' and not tell me who he is, is the same guy who will drive around and look for someone who looks different than he does in the mirror, who’s going to call the police to come look,” he said. “If you do not think that’s true, this is not the real world today.”

Corn said he does not believe racial profiling will be an issue because police are well trained to not racially profile people in the communities.

The bill now heads back to the House for members to accept the Senate’s changes on the measure. It may then proceed to the governor’s desk.



Jaclyn Houghton is CNHI News Service Oklahoma reporter.


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