[Oasfaa] Yesterday's action at State Capitol

[Fair, Bryce]

Three bills we are tracking passed the House floor yesterday.

HB 3119 - Undocumented Immigrants (Rep. Randy Terrill; Sen. Jeff Rabon) - HB 3119 passed late last night on a vote of 63 yes, 24 no (with 14 "excused" or not voting).  In addition to repealing legislation passed in 2003 authorizing certain undocumented immigrants to be eligible for resident tuition and state financial aid, section 3 of the bill would require state colleges and universities to require affirmative proof of citizenship or legal immigration of any person applying for an "identification document".  The institution would be required to report any person failing to provide such proof to the Oklahoma Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Based on the statutory definition of "state or private educational institution" referred to in the bill (Title 70, Section 3102), Oklahoma independent/private colleges and universities may be subject to the same requirements.  Rep. Terrill lodged a "reconsider" motion which allows him to bring the bill back up on the House floor to be reconsidered if he so chooses; however he must do this no later that the end of the House floor session on Thursday.  At the bottom of this e-mail, I have included the text of two related articles from the Daily Oklahoman and Tulsa World.  
HB 3119 bill text: http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/2005-06hb/HB3119_cs.rtf
House Roll Call vote on HB 3119: http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/house/50LEG/okh02101.txt


HB 2087 - OHLAP - Home school Eligibility (Rep. Randy Terrill; Sen. Daisy Lawler) - This bill, which would provide eligibility for homeschool students in OHLAP, passed the House on a vote of 91 yes, 4 no.  The bill was amended on the House floor to restore language dedicating certain oil tax revenues to the OHLAP Trust Fund.  This language had been in the introduced version of the bill but was removed in committee.  The bill now moves on to the Senate.
HB 2087 bill text (does not reflect the floor amendment yet):  http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2005-06bills/HB/HB2087_CS.RTF
House roll call vote on HB 2087:  http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/house/50LEG/okh02059.txt


HB 2589 - National Guard (Rep. Rex Duncan; Sen. Cal Hobson) - The bill's author refers to the bill as the "National Guard Tuition Waiver Bill".  However, in its current form, the bill is actually more about the institution's treatment (financially/academically) of students called to military duty rather than the National Guard Tuition Waiver.  The bill passed the House floor by a vote of 93 yes, 0 no.  The bill now moves to the Senate.
HB 2589 bill text: http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/2005-06hb/HB2589_cs.rtf
You can find a press release about the bill at: http://www.okhouse.gov//OkhouseMedia/news_story.aspx?NewsID=591



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Bill requires workers to report illegal aliens 

By Jennifer Mock and Judy Gibbs Robinson
The Oklahoman
3-15-06

The House of Representatives approved a bill late Tuesday that supporters say tackles Oklahoma's illegal immigration problem by requiring state workers to report anyone who cannot prove citizenship. 
The measure, approved 63-24, declares the state has a compelling interest in discouraging illegal immigration, then spells out ways to do it. 

The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act would require everyone to prove citizenship when getting identification cards at school, registering to vote or seeking public assistance. Anyone who cannot would be turned over to federal immigration authorities. 

The bill also repeals a 2003 law allowing illegal immigrants who grow up in Oklahoma to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities and to apply for state tuition assistance. 

"It is quite clear that the federal government has absolutely and utterly failed its job to protect our nation's borders," said Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, the measure's primary author. 

"The states not only have the legal authority to act ... but we must act." 

Opponents -- including Hispanic organizations, immigration advocates and individuals -- called the bill punitive, and predicted it would push illegal immigrants further into the shadows. 

"The legislation will not deter illegal immigration, but will only add confusion to an already confusing system," said Shirley Cox, director of social action at Catholic Charities. 

About 50 opponents of the bill, many of them Hispanic, showed up Tuesday morning when they learned the bill was on the House agenda. 

But when it became clear the measure would not be heard until evening, most returned to work. 

"For many, it was their first time to be at the Capitol. It was truly inspiring," Cox said. 

A much smaller crowd showed up to hear debate when the bill came up at 10 p.m. The legislation was brought up earlier in the evening, but a procedural move derailed its passage. The final version of the bill was distributed to members, then heard, and passed, later in the evening. The bill passed through without any debate, though many Democrats had expressed frustrations Republicans were ignoring their concerns. 

Fight another day
Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, D-Oklahoma City, said she would have debated against the bill had she been in the chamber when the bill was brought up again. Hamilton said the bill wrongly blames Hispanic immigrants for overburdened education and health care systems in the state. But, she said the finger pointing is shielded racism. 

"If you focus your hatred on a group of people -- and that is what they are doing -- you don't have to deal with the real problems," she said. "This is nothing but politics." 

If approved by the Senate, the bill would go to Gov. Brad Henry, who said there is very little state governments can do to address the immigration problem. 

"It's really a problem that must be addressed through a federal response and federal resources if we're really going to get a handle on it," said Henry, who said it is his policy not to indicate whether he will sign or veto legislation until he has had a chance to read it. 

The bill passed because lawmakers believed immigration, especially illegal immigration, has created problems for Oklahoma, draining the economy, taking jobs away from citizens and increasing the welfare rolls, said Ed Romo, vice president for civil rights of the League of United Latin American Citizens chapter. 

The Hispanic community will regroup and fight the bill in the Senate, Romo said. 

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House backs curb on illegal immigrants 

By ANGEL RIGGS World Capitol Bureau 
Tulsa World
3/15/2006 

 OKLAHOMA CITY -- A controversial bill to curb illegal immigrants' access to public assistance, driver's licenses and in-state tuition was approved by the House by a 63-24 vote Tuesday night. 

Earlier, Democrats had stalled the legislation on the House floor, but a second vote resulted in passage. 

Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, sponsor of House Bill 3119, said he already had agreed to work with opponents and take another look at the bill later in the session. 

The bill now moves to the Senate but will return to the House before final passage. 

"We ought not to be subsidizing people for coming here or remaining illegally," Terrill said. 

The lawmaker said there had been plenty of discussion on the bill in committee before it reached the floor. 

Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, a Democrat whose south Oklahoma City legislative district has hundreds of Hispanic residents, had filed nearly a dozen amendments to the bill. 

However, a Republican lawmaker called for a motion to move the bill forward. 

"The move to advance the bill is a move to cut off debate," Hamilton said. Republicans failed to be honest about the bill, she said. 

"Look at the preface of the bill; it says right out that illegal immigrants are responsible for wrongs in our society," Hamilton said earlier Tuesday. 

Terrill said opponents agreed with him on several provisions of the bill. The only hangup, he said before its passage, was whether undocumented college students should continue to receive in-state tuition and be eligible for scholarships. 

However, Shirley A. Cox, director of social action for Catholic Charities and an immigration attorney, said there was little agreement on several aspects of the bill. 

Cox, of Oklahoma City, said undocumented workers already are not eligible for most public benefits. 

"The only thing they're eligible for in Medicaid is emergency assistance," she said. "They're not eligible for child-care subsidies, welfare, food stamps." 

The bill is based on a false premise that undocumented people use public assistance programs, she said. "They don't," she said. "They're not eligible for them." 

Earlier Tuesday, Hamilton called the bill "racist." She said at least one version of the bill inferred that illegal immigrants are responsible for wrongs to our society. 

"If they're looking for illegal immigrants, all they have to do is come to my neighborhood," she said. "But I'd advise them not to come during the day, because they're all at work." 

Throughout the day, several Hispanics spent time at the Capitol, although not many remained when the bill was considered on the House floor. Some Hispanics who had wanted to watch House action on the bill apparently were confused about what entrance to use to go to the House gallery. 

House Bill 3119 would: 

* Prevent illegal immigrants from receiving public assistance benefits, such as Medicaid and food stamps 

* Require anyone applying for a driver's license or another government-issued identification card to present proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residence. 

* Require voters to show proof of citizenship before voting. 

* Allow state employees of state agencies who fail to report undocumented workers to be charged with misdemeanors. 

* Repeal previous legislation that allows undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition. 

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Bryce Fair 
Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Scholarships & Grants 
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education 
Phone:  (405) 225-9162 
Fax:  (405) 225-9230 
E-mail:  bfair at osrhe.edu 

Mailing Address: 
P.O. Box 108850 
Oklahoma City, OK  73101-8850 

Street Address: 
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200 
Oklahoma City, OK  73104