Shortey praises House efforts on immigration reform

Citing a House panel’s approval of an immigration reform proposal this week, Sen. Ralph Shortey on Thursday said he was encouraged to see reform efforts winning support in both houses of the Legislature.

House Bill 1446, authored by Rep. George Faught, was approved by the House Judiciary committee on Monday. The measure includes multiple provisions addressing immigration law, including sections that mirror those in Senate Bill 908, authored by Shortey.

“I’m pleased the House sees the importance of acting on this issue,” said Shortey, R-Oklahoma City. “It’s encouraging to see these measures advance through the process. As a freshman Senator, I’m humbled the House author has chosen to use language from my legislation and I look forward to working together as we seek to address this very important issue.”

Senate Bill 908 contains numerous reforms, including a section allowing for the seizure of an illegal immigrant’s property if the property is used in the commission of an immigration crime. Shortey is also the author of Senate Bill 905, the Oklahoma Official English Language Implementation Act, and Senate Bill 898, which targets birthright citizenship.

All three measures have been advanced by Senate committees.

“Our constituents have made it clear that they expect a proactive approach from state leaders,” Shortey said. “We owe it to the citizens of Oklahoma to act on these issues. The costs to the state are simply too great for us to continue waiting for the federal government to get serious about the enforcement of immigration law. We have to do what we can with the tools we have at our disposal.”