POLITICAL ROUNDUP: Menz responds to anti-immigration bill

May 13—A Norman lawmaker has called out Gov. Kevin Stitt for signing a bill that makes it a crime to reside or be within the boundaries of Oklahoma without documentation.

Rep. Anne Menz, D-Norman, said the bill will impact all Oklahomans, and not just the Latino community.

"Republican leaders drafted this bill strictly for political purposes with primary elections coming up," Menz said. "Count the number of times they invoke the president's name when trying to explain themselves."

In a recent editorial, Oklahoma Attorney Gen. Getner Drummond said a border crisis prompted Oklahoma to craft the legislation.

"Every state in the Union is confronting the threat to public safety created by the Biden Administration's utter failure to secure the border," Drummond said.

After signing the bill, Stitt said he is disappointed it was even necessary.

"Since President Biden took office in 2021, more than 10 million people have poured over the southern border. Countless individuals from across the globe, including thousands of Chinese nationals, as well as people affiliated with terror organizations, have illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Oklahomans are concerned by who could be lying in wait for an opportunity to bring harm to our country," Stitt said in a press release.

House Bill 4156 makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than a year or a fine of $500 for a first offense. Offenders would be required to leave the state within 72 hours from the time or date specified and would be prohibited from reentering the state at any time thereafter.

A second offense, a felony, offenders would be taken into custody of the Department of Corrections for two years and/or would be fined $1,000 and would be required to leave the state within 72 hours of the date and time specified on a written order.

Menz called the bill political theater.

"But what is perhaps the most insidious and concerning fact about this bill is that it is inflationary. People who don't have a Social Security number but who want to pay taxes can go to the IRS and lawfully be issued what is called an ITIN number," Menz said.

She said individuals with ITINs pay around $26 million in Oklahoma income taxes alone each year.

"That isn't counting what they pay in Oklahoma sales taxes and the massive labor force they provide. If we kick them all out, who is going to pay for that?" Menz said. "It is fiscally irresponsible and will be expensive for all Oklahomans. Additionally, it will cause a lot of problems for law enforcement, and we know that because many law enforcement officers opposed this bill and they told us it would be bad for them."

Menz said she supported Rep. James Lankford's bipartisan bill that would have negotiated a compromise while addressing border security.

"Nobody can argue that there is a problem at our nation's borders, but I have yet to meet someone who is excited to pay $16 for an avocado," Menz said. "Instead of working on a real solution or perhaps supporting Senator Lankford's efforts, we got this expensive, political, inflationary bill."

"Nobody is saying we shouldn't do something about illegal immigration. There are smart and fiscally responsible things we can do at the state level, but this bill isn't it."

Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, was asked by email, text, and phone for comment multiple times, but did not respond to media requests.