Rep. Terrill Says Illegal Immigration’s Cost To State Growing

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A state lawmaker says illegal immigration is costing state governments (m) millions of dollars, including higher crime rates and prison expenses.

State Representative Randy Terrill says that last month there were 420 illegal aliens in Oklahoma prisons. The state Department of Corrections says it costs more than seven (m) million dollars a year to keep them behind bars.

Terrill, a Moore Republican, says anyone who commits a crime in the state should serve time. But, he says, if the federal government was securing the nation’s borders, those criminals wouldn’t be in Oklahoma in the first place.

Terrill says the state also spends two-point-three (m) million dollars per year on free health care and other medical services for illegal aliens.

Recently, Rep. Terrill sent a letter to Attorney General Drew Edmondson, requesting an official opinion on the apparent conflict between state law and federal law allowing in state tuition fees for illegal immigrants.

Rep. Terrill Says Illegal Immigration’s Cost To State Growing

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) A state lawmaker says illegal immigration is costing state governments (m) millions of dollars, including higher crime rates and prison expenses.

State Representative Randy Terrill says that last month there were 420 illegal aliens in Oklahoma prisons. The state Department of Corrections says it costs more than seven (m) million dollars a year to keep them behind bars.

Terrill, a Moore Republican, says anyone who commits a crime in the state should serve time. But, he says, if the federal government was securing the nation’s borders, those criminals wouldn’t be in Oklahoma in the first place.

Terrill says the state also spends two-point-three (m) million dollars per year on free health care and other medical services for illegal aliens.

Recently, Rep. Terrill sent a letter to Attorney General Drew Edmondson, requesting an official opinion on the apparent conflict between state law and federal law allowing in state tuition fees for illegal immigrants.

Askins Push Polling?

After Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan and seven other Senate Democrats endorsed Pete Regan for Lt. Governor last week, Jari Askins responded confidently that she “wasn’t surprised”. Maybe that confidence is starting to erode a bit. Askins’ recent campaign report notes she has loaned $530,000 to her campaign. The amount is about two-thirds of the total $800,000 she’s raised so far. From demookie.com:

I got a call last night from Keilhorn Poll

It was a dirty Push Poll from Jari Askins. I was shocked since she was on TV complaining of dirty politics.

The call went like this.

Hello

Hi this is ____ from the Keilhorn poll will you take a poll it will only take about two minutes

Sure.

Q. If you were going to vote for Lt Gov. who would you vote for?

A. Pete Regan

Q. This next question is for people who are sure they are going to vote next tues. Are you sure you (sic)wnat to vote. It’s such a hassle.

A. Yeah, I’m going to vote.

Q. I mean are you absolutly positive or is it possible you might not be able to.

A. No, I’m voting.

Q. Do you think you’ll vote for someone with 30 years of experience or for somone who claimed to work for Dan Boren for a long time but actually worked for TRIAL LAWYERS.

A. TRIAL LAWYERS eh… I love trial lawyers.. (chuckle) …. I’ll take the son of a gun who doesn’t have a 30 year experience and lowered himself to represent TRIAL LAWYERS. …. I love trial lawyers.

Q. Thank you and please consider Jari this coming tuesday.

The caller ID reads
OK MKT RSRCH 405-942-2311

"400lb Gorilla" Working For Bode Again?

“SoonerFan”, writing for redstate.com, gives his assessment of the recently completed primary elections. Here’s a sample from the CD5 race:

And last but not least, gone is Denise Bode, that fiery oil temptress whose flair for drama is exceeded only by her flair for fundraising. Only she’s not gone yet, is she? Just today she sent out yet another attack press release against Mick Cornett. Yes, you read me right. Campaign consultant Ron Black, after working for the Cornett campaign, is back hacking it up for the Bode’s again. Why? Who knows. Why not. What else does he have to do? Or her, for that matter. Husband John is a happy, well-respected DC-lobbyist, and she just can’t get there. I’ve got $5 that says July 25th was the biggest sigh of relief he’s ever breathed.

Wilson Profiled in the Gazette

William Savage profiles Oklahoma pollster and political consulant in the most recent edition of the Oklahoma Gazette

Much Ado About Nothing

On July 25, 60,000 more Democrats than Republicans turned out to the polls. Some have taken this as a positive sign for Governor Henry and other Democrats on the ballot in November. A quick look at history, however, paints a different picture. In the 2004 Senate Primary, 352,000 Democrats turned out, despite Brad Carson’s victory being a foregone conclusion. On the Republican side, with a hotly contested race, GOP candidates combined for only 238,000 votes. What does Primary turnout mean? As the Coburn-Carson race showed us; almost nothing.

OKPNS New Additions

Dear Readers:

Since our launch over two months ago, your positive response to the Oklahoma Political News Service website, has frankly met and exceeded our wildest expectations. We are continually striving for ways to make OKPNS your premier website for Oklahoma political news and commentary.

To accomplish this important mission, you may notice our new and exciting additions. First, we have added a bi-partisan, political events calendar. Please feel free to email us (one week in advance please) any political event you would like for us to add to the calendar.

Second, a new feature we’ve added is a weekly poll. We will post a new poll question every Monday and will report the result of that poll on our site the following Monday. Of course it’s strictly non scientific, but it will be interesting nonetheless to gauge our readers’ opinions.

Last, but not least, we are offering space on our site for advertising. Naturally, candidates and interest groups should take advantage of our ever expanding readership of voting and informed Oklahomans to get their message out. We are open to other types of advertising, as long as its clean and non offensive. Please email us for rates.

We thank you for your support, and look to serve you for many years to come!

Christopher Arps
Editor

Midwest City Sun: Askins Best Choice

There is a certain symmetry to the Aug. 22 runoff election for the lieutenant governor’s race.

On the Republican side, former Speaker of the House Todd Hiett faces Scott Pruitt, while on the Democratic side, Jari Askins, who would have been the Speaker, had Democrats retained control of the House, goes up against Pete Regan.

Of the four remaining candidates, only Regan lacks experience at the legislative level. It’s a crucial difference in our opinion.

On the other hand, Askins is the only candidate with experience in every one of the three branches of the republic’s government. She served for years as a special district judge in Stephens County, worked on advisory boards in the administrative branch and was elected to multiple terms in office in the state House. A conservative Democrat, she garnered the most votes in the July 25 primary among all candidates for lieutenant governor (more than 100,000), but was unable to garner the needed 50 percent to avoid the runoff with Regan.

Read more…

Sparks Campaign Push Polling?

Last week, John Sparks’ campaign sent out this mailer attempting to make Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee an issue in the campaign. The mailer claims that Senator Coffee is “licking his chops” over the prospects of the nomination of Tim Emrich.

Demookie.com is reporting that push poll phone calls have recently been received by Senate district 16 voters regarding Emrich.

Today my wife received a phone call supposedly a ‘political poll.’ She was (sic) aked if the run-off election were today, who would she vote for, Emrich or Sparks. She answered Emrich. Then she was asked “Would you still vote for him, if you knew that he has lived in Oklahoma for only six months? She replied that she knew that charge and that it was wrong, that Emrich had publicly answered the charge and that Emrich has deep Oklahoma roots.

Then she was asked “Would you still vote for him, if you knew that he had been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor? At that point she said this is clearly a Sparks smear campaign and that she would not participate further and hung up (wish she had stayed on and gotten the other smears!). Read More…

Picture Of The Day

From demookie.com
[Former] OPEA ED Gary Jones shows up in Rush Springs to help Jari Askins