OKLAHOMA CITY – Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka) and Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat (R-Oklahoma City) announced April 11 proposed joint legislation pertaining to illegal immigration. It will be filed this week, according to a House press release, and will create the crime of impermissible occupation.
Partial details state that a person commits an impermissible occupation if he or she willfully and without permission enter and remain in Oklahoma without first obtaining legal authorization to enter the United States. The first offense will be considered a misdemeanor and two or more offenses will be a felony. A preemption clause will prohibit municipalities from becoming sanctuary cities.
“Oklahoma citizens should not be footing the bill for those illegally in our country, and this legislation will make Oklahoma the least attractive state in the nation for illegal immigrants to come to,” McCall said.
Treat added that “legal immigration provides endless opportunities for individuals to come to our country and prosper.”
House Democrats are pushing back on the legislation, calling it “partisan pandering” and urged legislative leaders to “get to the business of helping working Oklahoma families,” according to an April 12 Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus press release.
“I am deeply concerned that Republican leadership from both chambers found the time to meet about an issue we cannot address, but won’t meet to discuss our state’s budget,” said House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City). “Their inability to work together has created a stalemate on discussions important to working families like accessible child care, expanding education access to Oklahomans with disabilities, and addressing the affordable housing crisis in our state.”
Treat said that he and McCall have had discussions about the House releasing their budget numbers and was told it could possibly be released as early as April 15. Proposed Bills Rep. Marcus McEntire (R-Duncan) A measure, Senate Bill 1390, co-sponsored by McEntire was vetoed by Gov. Kevin Stitt on April 8. The proposal was related to pharmacy benefits managers and unanimously passed the House Rules Committee and a third reading in the House before it was sent to Stitt on April 2.
The bill’s author, Senator Greg Mc-Cortney (R-Ada), previously stated his belief that Oklahomans should be able to purchase their medication at the pharmacy of their choice, not at the one their insurance requires. Candidate Filings Some House seats are up for election in 2024. April 3-5 was the filing period and anyone wanting to withdraw their application from the upcoming June primaries were required to do so by April 9.
Southwest Oklahoma House members who filed candidacy papers include Reps. Brad Boles, Trey Caldwell, Toni Hasenbeck, Gerrid Kendrix, Dick Lowe, Daniel Pae and Rande Worthen. McEntire, who represents District 50, which includes Jefferson and Stephens counties, did not file for reelection.
Three representatives – Boles, Kendrix and Lowe – did not receive opponents for their seats and were automatically reelected.
Caldwell will face Lawton Democrat Shykira Smith in the November general election. Hasenbeck will face Apache Republican William Ratley in June Republican primary. Pae will face Lawton Democrat Allison Offield in the general election. Worthen will face Lawton Democrat Tom Sutherlin in the general election.
Vying for the District 50 seat, currently held by McEntire, are four Republican contenders who will challenge each other in the June primary. From Duncan are Stacy Jo Adams, Andrew Aldridge and Clayton Pickard. Jayce Daniel Miller is from Ringling.