GOP eyes immigration
GOP eyes immigration

Further immigration reform will be on the House Republican leadership's agenda next legislative session, House Speaker Lance Cargill said Wednesday.

But what form that legislation will take still needs to be worked out as implementation of House Bill 1804 continues, he said.

"Clearly it will be an issue we will address,” said Cargill, R-Harrah.

As lawmakers began crafting HB 1804 — which was on the Republican agenda last session — it was drafted in a way to give state leaders ample opportunity to study what is being done in other states and tweak the law as needed. The employer penalty provisions of the bill don't go into effect until July, giving lawmakers another full legislative session to make changes to the bill, Cargill said.

The rhetoric from the far right and the far left is not helping the situation, Cargill said. The political will does not exist either within the Legislature or the public to gut HB 1804 as some are suggesting, or radically ramp up the legislation.

"Both sides need to moderate the rhetoric,” he said. "There are people of good faith on both sides of the issue.”

Cargill also criticized Nancy Galvan, a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Latin American and Hispanic Affairs, who equated the immigration law earlier this week to "the pursuit of Jews in Germany during the Hitler era.”

This kind of rhetoric is "wholly irresponsible and inappropriate,” Cargill said, and called on Gov. Brad Henry to ask Galvan to retract her statement or remove her from the council.

Paul Sund, Henry's spokesman, said the governor intends to talk to Galvan about her remarks, but does not plan to remove her from the council.

Sen. Harry Coates, who voted against HB 1804 when it came through the Senate, said this week he plans to file legislation next session to repeal parts of the bill. The sections that make it a felony to harbor or transport an illegal immigrant are causing hardships for property and business owners alike, he said.

Rep. Randy Terrill, who authored HB 1804, has said he plans to offer additional legislation next year to bolster the existing law. The bill, which he is calling "Son of HB 1804,” would designate English as the official language of the state.

It would also allow law enforcement to seize the assets of those prosecuted under the statute. Terrill has also suggested the new bill may seek to deny birth certificates to children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant parents.

Cargill called the English as the official state language provision an area of common ground, so long as the use of tribal languages is allowed to continue.

"Language is a unifying factor for our country,” he said. "I think people will be able to rally behind that.”

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