Terrill: Talk/Text Ban Disrespects Citizens

Federal efforts to force states to ban all forms of talking and texting while driving, regardless of circumstances, disrespects the ability of citizens to govern themselves, state Rep. Randy Terrill said today.

“The U.S. Constitution makes clear that the federal government has specifically enumerated and limited powers with all other issues relegated to state governments,” said Terrill, R-Moore. “If this talking and texting initiative stands, then is there anything out of bounds for the federal government.

Terrill’s comments came in response to reports that the National Transportation Safety Board is attempting to coerce all states into imposing total bans on texting, emailing or chatting while driving.

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Sources: Barry Switzer, J. C. Watts Stand To Share In Huge Highway Traffic Camera Plan Fee

The McCarville Report Online has been told that former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer and his former star quarterback, ex-Congressman J. C. Watts, will share in a huge fee if the Chicago-based InsureNet is successful in its bid to help implement a system of highway traffic cameras to catch insurance scofflaws in Oklahoma and other states.

Thus far, however, Oklahoma is the only state where the firm's system has won gubernatorial and legislative approval and is in the process of being adopted; it has been rejected in other states, including Nevada and Pennsylvania, primarily because of privacy concerns raised by opponents. Failure by the company to win contracts in those, and other, states apparently means the two have been paid nothing for their efforts to date. In Oklahoma, the company is one of four bidders and may or may not be awarded the contract.

One of those involved says he knows nothing about any fees promised Switzer, Watts, or others, including himself.

Switzer has been the company's out-front representative in Oklahoma, meeting with Governor Henry's chief budget writer, Treasurer Scott Meacham, to push for inclusion of the company's plan in Henry's budget.

While Switzer has contended Henry "has nothing to do with this," it was Henry's action in including the plan in his budget that would make possible the fee due Switzer and others for their lobbying if InsureNet were to be awarded the contract. Switzer was one of Henry's chief fundraisers in his 2002 campaign and is credited with helping Henry win his upset victory over Republican Steve Largent.

Bids on the plan, which Henry claims will generate $50 million for the state in its first year of operation, have been taken by the Department of Central Services after being outlined by the Department of Public Safety and its expert, David Beatty; a contract has not yet been awarded. Payment due the firm chosen to implement the plan is estimated in the 25-30 percent range.

InsureNet reports on its website that it now has formed a partnership with Intelligent Imaging Systems (IIS) to "blend their respective technologies in order to provide added functionality relating to vehicle insurance verification. IIS is a leading supplier of Smart Roadside™ solutions for the Transportation Safety and Security market. IIS’ automated electronic screening systems represent the evolution in effectiveness and efficiency of roadside law enforcement operations. With technology deployed in almost half the States and Provinces in North America, IIS is leading the way in helping public agencies use technology to improve highway safety and security."

Watts, a Republican who is now a Washington lobbyist, has not been publicly visible in working for InsureNet. Sources say, however, that he has worked behind the scenes on the company's behalf, "opening doors" in several states. Oklahoma City lobbyist Chad Alexander, Watts' former campaign manager and spokesman, is InsureNet's Oklahoma lobbyist. Alexander did not respond to questions about Watts' involvement, nor did House Speaker Chris Benge. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee, through spokesman Randy Swanson, said he's had no contact with Watts. TMRO has been told that Watts had contact with a key member of Benge's staff when the push to land the contract for InsureNet began a year ago.

Former Rep. Wayne Pettigrew, whose contract with InsureNet expired May 31st, said he doesn't believe Watts is active in the Oklahoma effort: "I believe JC’s consulting company was only used in Louisiana."

Efforts to determine if Watts has been active on the company's behalf in Canada, where he was a popular professional football player, have been unproductive. InsureNet has pursued its automated license plate recognition system in that country.

Capitol sources say it may be the involvement of Republicans Watts, Pettigrew and Alexander that resulted in no questions about the plan from Republican House and Senate leaders, or from Republican Rep. Randy Terrill of Moore, chairman of the House Budget Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Department of Public Safety budget. Some observers found it curious that Republicans asked no public questions about the controversial use of the cameras, opposed by civil libertarians and privacy advocates, or about how the revenue figure was determined. Benge and Coffee approved the plan, apparently without question, when they signed off on Henry's budget.

Identified by The McCarville Report Online as part of the InsureNet "team" through company documents and sources are Switzer, Watts, former OU players and brothers Tinker and Steve Owens, Alexander, and Pettigrew. Tinker and Steve Owens are Norman insurance agents. Steve Owens says he was approached to join the InsureNet "team" but declined to do so; he was unaware a company document with his photograph was being used.

Pettigrew told TMRO he was contacted more than a year ago by Tinker Owens and asked to arrange a meeting with InsureNet's top official and Rep. Ken Miller, chairman of the House Budget Committee. Pettigrew said they subsequently had lunch. Miller confirmed the lunch and said he took no action as a result, and did not advocate InsureNet's plan with anyone.

A source with access to details of the alleged agreement involving Switzer and Watts says Switzer is to be paid 2 percent of the company's possible revenue in the states where he's been active, while Tinker Owens is listed also at 2 percent, with Watts, Pettigrew and Texan Jack West listed at 1 percent. West, who is in the insurance business, is a former pro football star known as the player who once ran into a goal post.

Pettigrew, however, told TMRO he knows nothing about those percentages or any contract outlining them.

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DOJ Backs Off 'Offical English' Challenge

From The Washington Times ~ Oklahoma's bipartisan congressional delegation this week accused the Obama Justice Department of trying to strong-arm the state into rejecting an English-only referendum by saying it could cost Oklahoma federal funding.

In a stern letter to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., the lawmakers - six Republicans and one Democrat - said Justice officials were meddling in Oklahoma affairs when they issued a pre-emptive April warning letter, well before any potential violation of law would take place.

"The Civil Rights Division letter was dubiously timed at the peak of legislative debate rather than in response to a particular state action," the delegation wrote to Mr. Holder on Tuesday, questioning whether Oklahoma was being singled out and asking what funds would be jeopardized.

But the Justice Department says Oklahoma lawmakers themselves have already cleared up the problem by changing the referendum in April to remove any conflicts with federal law.

"The proposal appropriately allows languages other than English when required by federal law and, as long as recipients comply with those laws, federal funds are not at risk," said Justice spokesman Alejandro Miyar.

The Oklahoma Legislature voted in April to ask state voters next year to vote on requiring official state actions be conducted in English and preventing individuals from suing to have state services provided in languages other than English.

In her April warning letter, Loretta King, the acting assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said limiting services could amount to discrimination against persons based on their national origin. She said state programs could lose federal subsidies if they run afoul of discrimination laws.

Mr. Miyar said the letter was designed to let Oklahoma officials know an early version of their legislation might have conflicted with federal law. A week after the letter was sent, the Legislature approved a different version that doesn't conflict with federal laws, and he said that has cleared up any problem.

Still, the Oklahoma lawmakers, led by Republican Sen. James M. Inhofe, said that by acting even before lawmakers had passed their measure, much less before voters had approved the referendum, the administration was acting outside of the civil rights rules the Supreme Court laid out in a 2001 ruling.

"This was not a letter aimed at enforcing actually occurring violations," the lawmakers said.

The lawmakers questioned why Oklahoma received a warning when other states have similar language requirements. State Rep. Randy Terrill, a Republican and sponsor of the referendum, said the letter was an effort to "blackmail" the state.

"The DOJ's argument is legally unsound and tries to equate English-language laws with national-origin discrimination. No court in the country has ever issued a ruling that supports the DOJ's specious legal claims," he said.

Mr. Miyar said Oklahoma's original bill had singled out a Clinton administration executive order as lacking binding authority on states, and Ms. King's letter was intended to alert Oklahoma that other federal laws also apply.

"This was the only English-only bill that we had seen in which Executive Order 13166 was specifically mentioned - and that's the reason it was important to clarify to Oklahoma that Title VI is the federal law that asserts the requirement for recipients to provide reasonable access to [limited English proficiency] individuals," Mr. Miyar said.

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Outrage Voiced Over DOJ's Threat To Penalize Oklahoma If 'Official English' Approved; Terrill Says It's 'Abusive...unjustified...an intrusion'

U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder's Department of Justice has threatened Oklahoma with a loss of federal funding if voters approve an "Official English" constitutional amendment in what's being characterized as an outrageous attempt to intimidate citizens of Oklahoma.

'We will not be blackmailed'

Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, ardent supporter of the measure and a crusader against illegal immigration, told KTOK's Reid Mullins this morning he was "incredibly surprised" by the letter and its contents. He said the attack on Oklahoma appears to be unprecedented.

Terrill said he's curious what "triggered the letter." He said the letter is "abusive...unjustified...an unwarranted intrusion" into the affairs of the state.

"Can the federal government tell a state what to do?" Terrill asked, while saying it can not.

“Absolutely appalling, it is outrageous, it clearly constitutes a threat.

“It is abusive and singles out the state of Oklahoma and therefore is unjustified and an intrusion into the sovereignty of the state of Oklahoma.

“My message would be simple—the federal government needs to get its nose out of our business," Terrill added. "We will not be blackmailed. We will not be intimidated. We will not be extorted.”

Members of the state's congressional delegation sent a letter to Holder seeking justification and clarification for the letter, from the Department of Justice, sent to Attorney General Drew Edmondson.

"It is entirely unacceptable for the federal government to try to strong-arm the state by threatening to remove federal funding,'' Republican Senator Jim Inhofe said.

In the letter, Inhofe and other members of the state's delegation also stated that the letter to Edmonson was "dubiously timed'' at the peak of the debate over the issue.

"We find it extremely disconcerting that the State of Oklahoma has been targeted,'' the delegation wrote.

Citing a Supreme Court ruling that speaks to such "unprecedented intrusion" by DOJ, the lawmakers also asks Holder to explain what triggered the letter. They also cite similar laws passed in other states.

"Have these states, or any of the dozens of states, cities and counties with official English policies, been accused by the Department of Justice to be in violation ... or formally threatened with funding termination?" they asked.

The letter also was signed by Senator Tom Coburn; Republican Reps. John Sullivan, Frank Lucas, Tom Cole and Mary Fallin, and Democrat Dan Boren.

The DOJ etter advises Edmondson that "implementation of this [English-only] amendment may conflict with Oklahoma's obligations to protect the civil rights of limited English proficient (LEP) persons."

Dated April 14 from Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King, the letter states, "As you know, recipients of federal financial assistance must comply with various civil rights statutes, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964…which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin."

The letter continues, "State agencies and other entities in Oklahoma that receive federal financial assistance thus would be precluded by federal law from abiding by an English-only requirement where it conflicts with their obligations under Title VI."

The congressional delegation's letter to Holder points out that several other states have passed similar legislation and asks if they too have been "accused by the Department of Justice to be in violation with Title VI, or formally threatened with funding termination."

The delegation letter asks for an explanation for what prompted the DOJ to write the state of Oklahoma on this issue and seeks explanation for what funds would be eliminated should Oklahomans pass the English only amendment.

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Illegal Alien Prison Inmates Face Deportation

Twenty-two illegal alien state prison inmates were turned over to federal authorities for deportation today, continuing a process that could ultimately save taxpayers close to $7 million.

Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, who witnessed the transfer at the Lilley Correctional Center near Boley, said, “For too long, Oklahoma’s working families have paid the price for the federal government’s failure to control our nation’s borders. Now, thanks to the Criminal Illegal Alien Rapid Repatriation Act of 2009, the federal government will have to bear the financial burden created by these criminals who never should have been here in the first place."

House Bill 2245, by Terrill, created the Criminal Illegal Alien Rapid Repatriation Act and allowed the Department of Corrections to send illegal alien inmates to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation.

“We are pleased to see the operational aspects developed for Representative Terrill's bill to take effect,” said Justin Jones, director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. “This is a measure that saves public funds without compromising public safety.”

The deportation provisions apply only to illegal alien inmates who have not been convicted of major violent crimes (those requiring convicts to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence) and who have served at least one-third of their sentence in state prison.

Prison officials report that 346 of the 541 illegal aliens currently in state prison will ultimately be eligible for deportation under the program, with 181 immediately eligible for deportation.

Since the law gained final legislative approval in May, 32 illegal alien inmates have already been turned over to federal authorities. Today’s group, however, was the largest single transfer to date.

The state pays about $20,000 per year to house each inmate, meaning the ultimate savings generated by the repatriation program will total about $6.9 million.

“During tough economic times when our prisons have to do more with less, this program allows us to maximize our limited tax dollars,” Terrill said. “This program is being considered for duplication across the country and I am proud that Oklahoma was one of the first to enact this common-sense measure.”

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Officials: No OHP Trooper Furloughs Necessary

State troopers will not face furloughs as the result of budget cuts this year thanks to an additional $2.5 million that will be directed to the Department of Public Safety, officials announced today.

“As a conservative, I believe in a constitutionally limited role for government, but public safety is clearly one of those roles,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, Moore Republican who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee on public safety. “Today’s agreement will prevent an unnecessary reduction in troop presence on our roads, which could save lives."

“It has always been our intent to avoid furloughs within DPS and keep our troopers on the road, and we have done so,” said Senator Anthony Sykes, R-Moore, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary. “I am committed to funding Public Safety as we continue in the budget process.”

“The Oklahoma House of Representatives, the Oklahoma Senate and the Governor have worked diligently to avoid cuts to the Department of Public Safety that would result in Oklahoma state troopers being furloughed,” said Roy Rogers, president of the Oklahoma State Troopers Association. “We appreciate their effort and attention to this pressing need.”

“With this $2.5 million, the department will still have to implement other cuts and there will be diminution of services of departmental personnel such as driver’s license examiners who leave the agency who won't be replaced, but this plan will prevent any furlough of troopers on the road,” said Commissioner of Public Safety Kevin Ward.

Prior to today’s announcement, the Department of Public Safety was facing a $6.3 million total budget cut, which would have required the elimination of patrol academies (which train replacements for retiring troopers), loss of money for a new Troop K headquarters in north-central Oklahoma, a $1.2 million reduction in operational expenses such as fuel (which equates to a 25 percent cumulative cut in the operational budget over the past three years), implementing a policy of attrition (leaving vacant the positions of 25 troopers expected to retire this year and potentially as many as 40 total who may leave the agency), and implementation of furlough days for each of the remaining 800 highway patrol troopers.

Now, thanks to the $2.5 million infusion, furloughs have been taken off the table and the money for a new Troop K headquarters remains in the DPS budget, Ward said.

“We will still take budget reductions that impact our operating costs, such as gasoline for patrol cars, but we will make those cuts work within this budget framework,” Ward said.

“When you take troopers off the highways, it is diminishing our ability to fulfill our mission to protect the public,” Rogers said. “We really appreciate the House, Senate and Governor for working to prevent any potential trooper furloughs.”

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Official English Measure Clears Legislature

Oklahomans will vote next year on the opportunity to make English the official language of state government following final House passage of legislation today.

“As our common language, English and the ‘melting pot’ process it makes possible has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in history,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore. “This legislation will reinforce our nation’s unity and help end the drift toward linguistic Balkanization."

House Joint Resolution 1042, by Terrill and Senator Anthony Sykes, recognizes that English is Oklahoma’s common and unifying language, and declares that all official actions of the state must be conducted in English. It also bars individuals from suing the state to have services provided in languages other than English.

Under the provisions of the legislation, private individuals and businesses will still be allowed to use whatever language they choose. Only official government business would be affected.

The bill also contains specific provisions protecting the “use, study, development, or encouragement” of any Native American language, including the languages used by Oklahoma’s 39 federally recognized Native American tribes.

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'Juli's Law' Wins House Approval

Legislation that would require more than 30,000 violent criminals to provide a DNA sample for a state database was approved today by the Oklahoma House of Representatives as "Juli's Law," Senate Bill 1102, advanced.

The bill, by Senator Jonathon Nichols and Rep. Randy Terrill, would expand existing law requiring DNA samples to include individuals convicted of certain violent misdemeanor crimes as well as illegal aliens upon arrest for any crime.

“DNA is an important tool that could allow police to identify suspects in numerous cases,” said state Terrill, R-Moore. “Criminals don’t usually confine themselves to one type of crime. By casting a wider DNA net, I believe we will quickly identify individuals who have committed numerous crimes that remain unsolved.”

“DNA evidence was crucial to identifying the killer of OU student Juli Buskin,” said Rep. Lee Denney, R-Cushing. “By enacting this law, we will be able to solve similar crimes and provide closure to other families like the Buskins.”

DNA evidence led officials to a suspect in the 1996 rape and murder of Jewell “Juli” Buskin, a University of Oklahoma ballet student. Forensic evidence from the crime was linked to a man already incarcerated in Oklahoma on an unrelated charge.

“Justice delayed is justice denied for the families of victims,” Denney said. “While we cannot bring back a loved one, we must do all we can to identify these murderers.”

“Representative Denney feels very passionate about and has been a tireless crusader for this issue and was crucial to gaining final support for it this year,” Terrill said.

Under the bill, anyone convicted of the following violent misdemeanor crimes would have to provide a DNA sample for inclusion in the state database: assault and battery, domestic abuse, stalking, possession of a controlled substance, outraging public decency, resisting arrest, escape or attempting to escape, eluding a police officer, peeping tom, pointing a firearm, unlawful carry of a firearm, illegal transport of a firearm, discharging of a firearm, threatening an act of violence, breaking and entering a dwelling place, destruction of property, negligent homicide, or causing a personal injury accident while driving under the influence.

The bill would also apply to illegal aliens upon arrest for any crime.

The law will add another 32,500 samples to the state DNA database each year, according to estimates.

The bill passed the Oklahoma House today on a 73-18 vote. It now returns to the Senate.

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'Pro-English' Group Targets Patrick Anderson

Republican Senator Patrick Anderson of Enid's opposition to English-only legislation is being targeted in a radio commercial that began airing on Enid stations over the weekend.

He's among those who disagree with Rep. Randy Terrill's "official English" plan.

Sapulpa Republican Senator Brian Bingman was targeted in a full-page newspaper ad in Sunday's edition of the Sapulpa Herald.

The State Chamber of Oklahoma has distributed a memo opposing Terrill's resolution, claiming it will deter trade, commerce and tourism.

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OFRG: Ballot Access Laws Advance

From Oklahomans For Responsible Government ~ Measures aimed at opening up Oklahoma's ballot access laws passed in the House and Senate this session and Oklahomans for Responsible Government today commended Senator Randy Brogdon (R-Owasso) and Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore) for working to get them through the first stages of the process.

“Oklahoma has some of the strictest laws in the country when it comes to allowing citizens putting their own ideas on the ballot,” said OFRG Executive Director Brian Downs. “Giving voters the opportunity to choose their own laws is the purest form of democracy and should be encouraged.”

Brogdon’s Senate Joint Resolution 13 changes the calculation which determines how many signatures are needed to get a referendum or constitutional amendment on the ballot. Right now, it’s based on either the last presidential election or the last gubernatorial election, whichever was most recent. SJR 13 bases it solely on the last gubernatorial election, meaning the number of signatures needed won’t fluctuate every two years.

Terrill’s House Bill 2246 increases the amount of time to gather signatures from 90 days to a year. It also requires that any challenges to the title or gist statement happen early on in the process instead of waiting until the end. A Senate version of the bill, SB 852 also by Sen. Brogdon passed today with similar language as Terrill’s House bill.

“By giving more time to collect signatures, this measure will open up Oklahoma’s process to more than just groups with a lot of resources,” said Downs. “Taking care of legal issues at the beginning of the petition process will also mean that those resources won’t be wasted on a technicality that could have been cleared up earlier.”

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Swift Deportation Of Illegal Aliens Seen

Rep. Randy Terrill says today that legislation approved by the House could result in the swift deportation of illegal aliens in state prisons, saving the state millions of dollars.

House Bill 2245, by Terrill, R-Moore, would allow the Department of Corrections to send illegal alien inmates to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill’s provisions apply only to criminals who are incarcerated for nonviolent crimes who have served at least half their sentence in state prison.

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Driver's Test Only In English Under House Measures

Lawmakers on House committees voted today to require that driver’s license tests be provided only in English and to also make English the official language of Oklahoma government.

“As our common American language, English and the ‘melting pot’ process it supports has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in history,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore. “Unfortunately, the recent drive to linguistically Balkanize our nation makes it harder for legal immigrants to assimilate while also creating potential hazards for other Oklahomans."

House Bill 2252, by Terrill, eliminates the current requirement for the Department of Public Safety to provide driver’s license tests in Spanish.

Terrill noted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations require drivers engaged in interstate commerce to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries and to make entries on reports and records.”

Action now moves to the House floor.

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Lawmakers Try Again On English Language

Lawmakers will again seek to make English the official language of Oklahoma government this year.

Reps. Randy Terrill, George Faught, Mike Christian and Senator Anthony Sykes today said they are filing legislation to send a proposed constitutional amendment to Oklahoma voters that would make English the state’s official language.

“As our common American language, English and the ‘melting pot’ process it supports has made the United States the most successful multi-ethnic nation in history,” said Terrill, R-Moore. “However, that success has been threatened by politically correct multilingualism that divides America into separate communities with little in common except geographic location. Our legislation will promote cohesion and end the divisiveness.”

“Our government should encourage legal immigrants to assimilate so they can access the American dream, but current law actually discourages that process,” said Faught, R-Muskogee. “Impeding efforts to help people become fluent in English condemns them to a low-income life in the shadows of our society. We need to help legal immigrants join American society, not ostracize them.”

“Making English the official language of state government is not only the humane thing to do, it’s also cost-effective,” said Sykes, R-Moore. “Right now, Oklahoma taxpayers can be forced to pay for government materials to be printed in up to 300 different languages or even pay for individual translators in every language. We are already seeing large sums spent on Spanish-language driver’s manuals no one uses while facing a shortage of English manuals. It’s time to eliminate that waste and be efficient with taxpayer funds.”

“This is a common-sense idea that’s time has come,” said Christian, R-Oklahoma City. “There is no compelling reason for the state to waste money printing documents or manuals in languages seldom or never used in Oklahoma.”

More than 30 states have already approved official English laws and so have more than 50 nations around the globe.

Under the provisions of the legislation, which will be very similar to last year’s Senate Bill 163, private individuals and businesses will still be allowed to use whatever language they choose. Only government activities would be affected.

The bill will also contain exemptions for the languages of Oklahoma’s 39 federally recognized Native American tribes and allows the use of both Braille and sign language in government services. The legislation also contains a number of other specific, narrowly tailored exceptions for things like public health and safety, as well as trade, commerce and tourism.

The bill’s authors cited three main reasons to make English the official language of Oklahoma government.

First, the bill will prevent the state from being compelled to provide taxpayer-subsidized services in any language other than English. Terrill noted that issue has become more urgent thanks to a federal government investigation of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety over allegations the agency violated the civil rights of two Iranian immigrants who were not provided written driver’s license exams in Farsi, the chief language of Iran.

Second, making English the official language avoids all of the cost, burden and conflict associated with bilingualism and multilingualism.

Most importantly, the lawmakers said making English the official language of state government would promote assimilation for all immigrants.

If approved by voters, the official English law would have three main impacts. First, there would no longer be any bilingual or multilingual driver’s license tests. Second, when citizens call a state agency, they will no longer be greeted by a “press 1 for English” prompt. Finally, there will no longer be any official state forms or signage in any language but English, unless covered by one of the specifically enumerated exceptions previously noted.

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House, Senate Budget Review Hearings Due

The State House and Senate budget committees responsible for oversight of public safety programs, including the state prison system, will conduct joint budget review hearings for the first time in recent memory.

Rep. Randy Terrill and Senator Anthony Sykes, both R-Moore, announced the move today, saying Republican control of both chambers of the Legislature has made the cooperative effort feasible.

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Terrill Named To Head Top House Panel

House Speaker Chris Benge today named state Rep. Randy Terrill chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Judiciary & Public Safety.

In that position, Terrill will help craft the state’s $7 billion budget in the 2009 session of the Legislature. Terrill previously served as chairman of the House Revenue and Taxation committee, where he sought tax reductions.

“Rep. Randy Terrill has many talents and with his legal background I believe his appointment to chair the Judiciary and Public Safety budget subcommittee is well-suited to his skills and interests,” said Benge, R-Tulsa. “Rep. Terrill could have stayed as Chairman of the Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee. When offered, he made the decision to step up to serve the caucus in this capacity. I have full and complete confidence in his knowledge of the process and ability to perform in this new role and I look forward to working closely with him.”

“I am proud of my tenure as chair of Revenue and Taxation, which included the passage of major tax cuts for working families, but with the national economy in a downturn I believe our focus must now move to greater control of spending,” Terrill said. “As chair of the Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Judiciary & Public Safety, I will have oversight of 16 agencies with a combined budget of approximately $800 million and be in a position to ensure those tax dollars are spent wisely and efficiently. This is a great honor and I am excited by the opportunity.”

During Terrill’s time as chair of the Revenue and Taxation Subcommittee, he helped move legislation that cut the state’s income tax rate from 6.65 percent to 5.5 percent today, with another reduction scheduled to lower the rate to 5.25 percent.

Terrill also helped increase the standard deduction (which dramatically lowered the tax burden for many low-income families), phase out the death tax, reduce the franchise tax burden of small businesses, and enact a host of targeted tax breaks for veterans and senior citizens.

“I believe the tax policies championed by House Republicans are helping working families in Oklahoma survive the national economic downturn,” Terrill said. “Our policies have ensured that Oklahomans have more take-home pay and entrepreneurs have more incentive to create jobs in our state. Now it’s time to protect those gains by encouraging state agencies to do more with less whenever possible.”

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Coburn Says No To 2010 Governor's Race

Senator Tom Coburn says he has no interest in running for governor in 2010 and that he'll wait until spring to decide if he wants to seek reelection to the Senate.

Coburn, known as "Doctor No" for his opposition to pork barrel spending in Congress, is serving his first term in the Senate after his previous service in the House. He quit the House on his own.

Speculation on possible GOP candidates for governor now focuses on Congressman Tom Cole and Congresswoman Mary Fallin. Both have discussed the possibility with supporters. Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee's name also is being mentioned, as is the name of Rep. Randy Terrill, known primarily for his sponsorship of the state's controversial new immigration law.

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Terrill Ordered To Pay $11,000

Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, has been ordered by a federal bankruptcy judge to pay about $11,000 to a bankruptcy trustee following the judge's finding that Terrill failed to list that sum as an asset in his bankruptcy case.

Terrill contends the sum constituted reimbursement for expenses and was not a loan, or an "asset."

The sum Terrill was ordered to pay will be distributed to creditors listed in the bankruptcy petition filed by Terrill and his wife. Terrill said the bankruptcy stemmed from college education debts accumulated by his wife.

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SurveyUSA: Terrill Far Ahead Of Opponent

From SurveyUSA For KFOR-Channel 4 ~ In an election for Oklahoma state House of Representatives in Oklahoma's 53rd legislative District today, Republican incumbent Randy Terrill (pictured) defeats Democrat Troy Green 56% to 39%, according to this latest exclusive KFOR-TV poll conducted by SurveyUSA.

Terrill leads among men and women, young and old, in the survey of 550 registered voters. About 19% of Republicans cross over to vote for Green; 26% of Democrats cross over to vote for Terrill. Independents split.

Among the small number of Oklahomans who have already voted via absentee ballot, Terrill leads by 50 points; among likely voters, Terrill leads by 15.

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Testimony Heard In Terrill Bankruptcy Case

Rep. Randy Terrill tried Wednesday during lengthy testimony in federal court to refute claims that he had failed to report all of his assets in a 2005 bankruptcy case that was recently reopened.

Terrill, R-Oklahoma City, allegedly failed to note more than $11,000 in assets that should have been reported to the court and made available to pay his creditors.

His 3-year-old bankruptcy case was reopened when questions were raised by a trustee who asserted that Terrill had received loans totaling $11,301 from his campaign, which should have been reported as assets. Terrill alleges the action was taken by those who have opposed his efforts at immigration reform.

Terrill said any money he received from his 2004 campaign was reimbursement for expenses he had incurred out of his personal funds in connection with his House race.

However, Terrill's bank records — produced in court Wednesday by trustee John Mashburn — indicate that Terrill acknowledged the loans by making notations that said "partial loan repayment."

His bank records indicate that he received at least two loans, one for $2,000 and the other for $750, but Terrill said he was really being reimbursed for expenses.

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