Morgan Freezes Repubs Out Of Immigration Study; Challenged Daisy Lawler Named Chair

Senate President Pro Tem Mike Morgan has taken the uncommon step of freezing Republican members of the Senate out of a special task force on illegal immigration issues and has named in-danger Senator Daisy Lawler, D-Comanche, to chair the group. Lawler is in a contested race with Republican Anthony Sykes of Moore; the race is one Republicans have on their list of possible pick-ups on what they hope will be their march to control of the Senate in this November's elections.

The move by Morgan may be intended to prop up Lawler's reelection bid in light of her vote to give illegal immigrants in-state tuition at Oklahoma colleges and universities. It is an issue Sykes has been using effectively against her, observers say. Lawler also was among Democrats who blocked Republican Senator Jim Williamson's immigration reform amendment (to House Bill 2634) that would have tabled a watered-down substitute amendment by Senator Kenneth Corn, D-District 4. She voted against tabling Corn's amendment, thus killing Williamson's amendment. Corn is among those Morgan named to the task force. Others are Senator Jim Wilson, D-District 3; Pat Fennell, executive director of the Hispanic Community Development Agency in Oklahoma City; Paul Hitch, Guymon rancher; and Verej Jazirvar, general manager of the Petroleum Club in Oklahoma City.

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