Gov. Stitt says two tribal nations owe millions in unpaid turnpike tolls

Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said Friday he supports legislative efforts to develop a state immigration policy, called for changes in the way the state picks members of the appellate judiciary and said the Legislature should keep $5 billion in savings.

The governor also pushed back on the issue of tribal tags, saying two state tribes owed the state millions in unpaid turnpike tolls.

Stitt made the statements during a news conference in the Blue Room of the state Capitol. Stitt usually meets with reporters about once a week, though Friday's news conference was the governor's first in three weeks.

In late March, House Speaker Charles McCall called for immigration legislation similar to a Texas initiative. On Thursday, McCall and Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat said they would roll out an immigration bill next week.

Stitt said he supported the effort. He said the state needed to address the immigration issue and blamed the Biden administration for not securing the southern border.

"States are being forced to stop the migration," Stitt said. "When you automatically get let into a country with all the services, all the free medical care, all the things that are happening, then that's creating this mass migration."

Stitt: States are being forced to 'stop the migration'

Stitt said he believed in "doing immigration the right way."

"But the way it's happening is not working, so states are forced to try and do other things to stop that tide of migration,so I'm supportive of that," he said.

The governor, responding to a question about former University of Oklahoma football coach Barry Switzer's opposition to Senate Joint Resolution 34 — which would call for a public vote to eliminate the Judicial Nominating Commission — said Switzer's opposition was paid for.

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"I wonder which lobbying group got ahold of him and paid him money to write the letter," Stitt said. "The federal system works very well, and if the Legislature puts (SJR 34) on my desk, I'll sign it. We want the best and brightest minds on the state Supreme Court. When you're limited by geography, when you're limited by who is going to go through the process, sometimes you have to recruit the best and brightest."

While Stitt used his news conference to push lawmakers for a limited state budget, the governor didn't speak about tax cuts, instead calling on the Legislature to keep the nearly $5 billion in one-time money intact.

"Big picture? We have to spend what our recurring revenue is," he said. "What is our income? We've got to make sure we don't obligate Oklahomans more than our income. Then again, we have to maintain a savings account. Let's keep about $5 billion or a little under in savings, and let's strategically invest in things. But let's not raise all the agencies and be obligated to more than our income is."

As long as the House and Senate are spending "around what our income is," Stitt said, "that's what I'm asking for."

The governor also renewed his criticism of tribal tags. He criticized six lawmakers for voting against Senate Bill 1907, which would authorize the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety to provide the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority vehicle registration information within the state that is available through the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunication Systems network.

Governor says Cherokees, Creeks owe millions in unpaid turnpike tolls

"When you drive on our turnpike system, call me crazy, but everybody should pay the same amount to drive on our turnpikes," Stitt said.

Stitt said the Cherokee Nation owed the state $4.7 million for Cherokee tags. "At the end of this month it's going to be $5 million," he said. "At the end of next month, it's going to be $5.7 million. The Creeks owed the state $1.8 million for these illegal tags that are running up and down the turnpikes."

The bill, the governor said, allowed the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to be able to share the information with the turnpike authority. He criticized state Reps. J.J. Humphrey, Jason Lowe, Regina Goodwin, David Hardin, John Kane and Stan May for voting against the bill.

"It's a head scratcher," Stitt said. "I have no idea why you think you should allow one race of people not to pay on the turnpikes."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt talks immigration, tribal tags, judge picks