Comparable to Texas’s bumbling SB 4 measure, the Oklahoma Legislature appears prepared to offer a bill that would allow authorities to enforce federal immigration laws. After Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond urged them to do exactly that, the tires started moving for Oklahoma lawmakers to create the ripoff measure.
Legislators Answer to Drummond’s Contact
Drummond’s urging followed the Supreme Court’s reluctance on halting the Texas estimate. In response, Oklahoma’s Speaker Charles McCall (R-22 ) declares that he will soon introduce legislation to secure the state’s borders through a plan comparable to SB 4.
Every state has been transformed into a frontier status as a result of the Biden Administration’s failed policies, according to McCall. Oklahoma is a “law and buy state,” meaning illegal immigrants who cross the border should be the last to seek refuge there. For these reasons, and in light of recent court decisions regarding Senate Bill 4’s removal from Texas, I’m introducing legislation to safe Oklahoma’s southern companions in the same way. Oklahoma may be prepared to protect its borders from anyone who crosses our country illegally.
At least on the republic part of the Oklahoma Legislature, there seems to be some bipartisan compromise on passing an immigration act.
Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-33 ), a state senator from Oklahoma, says he would support an SB 4 measure and that the bill can be passed as long as politics do n’t interfere with politics.
” It positively can be done and should be done”, Dahm said. It’s just a matter of whether authority may decide to pursue what is best for the Oklahoman people, as the house speaker has already indicated, or whether they will engage in political activism.
Another state senator, but on the Democratic side, Sen. Michael Brooks ( D- 44 ), says he would support an immigration expenses as long as it takes a comprehensive approach.
I believe I may be interested in addressing it in a detailed way with the Supreme Court, who appears to be at least willing to consider granting some freedom to states in terms of immigration policy, Brooks said. ” But if we are going to penalize the existence of unauthorized people, then to be able to give a path or a way for people who have already established roots and who are already paying taxes, to give them an opportunity to possibly never be guilty of that crime. And so to me, if they’re going to go something like that [SB 4], for those long-time Oklahoma people to be permitted to apply for a position ID or state certificate. And with that state ID or that state license, they would n’t be subject to the criminal law”.
The two state lawmakers from opposite parties disagree on the details of such a bill, but they also share a view on how the federal government is failing to tackle the country’s immigration issues.
Brooks reaffirmed his call for the position to address immigration issues head-on while acknowledging the broad consensus that exists across the hall.
” At this point, I think people would believe, regardless of your social line, that the federal government has failed to address the problems with immigration”, Brooks said. Whether it is on the protection aspect or the benefits part. However, I believe that the state of Oklahoma presents the same problems, but if we decide to dive in and address this issue head-on, we must be able to do so.
Dahm echoed Brooks ‘ views about the federal government’s activities, or yield, taken on the emigration problem.
” We do had, under the U. S. Constitution, the federal government is supposed to protect state against war. Not only is the Biden plan failing at that, they’re consciously creating this war. But that does n’t mean we as a state should just let it happen. Therefore, as a state, we must do everything in our power to safeguard our people, and that should be our top priority.
When asked why the Trump government had planned to launch an invasion, Dahm claimed it was done to create conflict and gain more electors.
Will we see it proposed?
Rep. Cyndi Munson (D-85 ), the leader of the Oklahoma House Democratic Party, questioned how someone like Speaker McCall would be able to pass the legislation given the apparent bipartisan support being shown to get something done on it.
During a nationwide media event, Munson answered a question asked by our 7News staff about Drummond’s new urging of the government.
Munson stated in her response that AG Drummond and Speaker McCall are both competing to be the next government of Oklahoma, and that she is not surprised to discover them feigning to appeal to the Democratic base. She then went on to explain how the House has now passed the house’s original bill-paying timeframe, leaving her with no idea how he would be able to carry out his plan.
Munson is unaware of how, but Brooks asserts that there is always a way when there is a can.
I have a feeling that the Speaker did find a way to halt the rules in order to get a bill across, according to Brooks.
An article to an already-proposed costs, according to some members of the Oklahoma House, could be the catalyst for the drafting of an SB 4-like measure. When asked if Dahm would think about doing the same on the republic side, he replied that someone would be willing to do so if chamber leaders decided against moving forward with the bill.
” I’m sure there will be people looking at every means possible on how to do that if the Senate leadership is n’t willing to pursue this,” Dahm said. There have always been other members who have been willing to step up and say,” Okay, I’ll introduce the legislation, I’ll work with the Speaker of the House on it, or I’ll find a vehicle on the Senate side, a House bill that we can potentially amend and do something with if Senate leadership is n’t willing to actually lead in this regard.” “
Lately, Dahm and other state Senator Dusty Deevers ( R- 32 ) made headlines for grandstanding before the March 14 congressional deadline. If an SB 4-like measure is n’t produced, Dahm did not rule out a second legislature attempt after this session.
Fears of Cultural Monitoring
One of the main objections to SB4 is that it permits stop-and-frisk approaches and racial profiling. Quit- and- search refers to the surveillance exercise of stopping a man briefly, without a warrant, in order to browse them for prohibited items, such as weapons or drugs. Past New York Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, emphasized this exercise in an attempt to reduce violence during the 1990s.
Dahm claims that the Oklahoma Legislature will need to build the bill to safeguard individual rights despite his belief that those tactics used by the New York police succeeded in their goals.
” I mean, if you really look at what they did with stop and frisk, it was really successful,” Dahm said. Today I am pretty much a Constitutionalist, and I do want to protect women’s civil rights and make sure that they are not subject to ridiculous searches and seizures, that is the tournament on that”.
Brooks agrees that civil liberties must be protected, and that more police training would be required if such legislation were to be passed.
” Obviously, if we’re gonna protect the rights of citizens, then there needs to be adequate training for law enforcement, Sen. Brooks said”. If you ca n’t tell if someone is on a document or is not authorized by looking at them, law enforcement might learn this. And so, I believe it will be crucial if we’re going to do something about this by providing training to law enforcement when it’s appropriate to inquire and how to inquire about a person’s immigration status.
More training, as Brooks suggests, could mean more resources needed for police departments across the state. A law similar to the one that was passed by Texas could result in fewer jail cells, more police officers on the job, and more local tax dollars being used to enforce federal immigration laws.
It’s unclear how much a law like this would have an impact, according to Sergeant Christopher Blessing of the Lawton Police Department.
” Time will tell whether or not we will need any additional resources, whether that means man power, equipment,” Blessing said”. We just do n’t know just yet. If that law is passed, we’ll have to play it by ear then and go from there.”
Stay tuned for more information from your 7News team as we wait to see if this bill is introduced in the upcoming weeks or even days. Click here to read more about the Oklahoma Legislature’s news.
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