Iowa is Being Sued. Oklahoma Can’t be Far Behind.
Civil rights groups are suing Iowa. The U.S. Justice Department has threatened to do the same. Oklahoma can’t be far behind.
The lawsuit alleges that Iowa’s new law making it a crime to be in the state if previously denied admission to the U.S. is unconstitutional.
As the Associated Press reported, it’s the first legal action against Iowa in response to the law, though the U.S. Department of Justice warned the state’s top officials last week that the agency would sue unless they agreed not to enforce it.
The complaint filed Thursday alleges that the new statute steps on the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration law. The case is similar to a more expansive Texas law challenged by both the Justice Department and civil rights groups.
The Texas law is similar to an Oklahoma law set to go into effect July 1. House Bill 4156 makes it illegal to be in Oklahoma if a person does not have federal authorization to be in the United States. The state crime is a misdemeanor on the first offense and a felony on the second violation.
Proponents claimed the law was needed to stem the flow of fentanyl and illegal marijuana growing operations in the state. Opponents argued the number of undocumented immigrants involved in those activities is nearly nonexistent and expressed concerns that the law created a free pass for police agencies to target Oklahomans based on their race or appearance.
More worth reading:
Walters Demands Mid-Del Return More Than $500,000
In what he called a “warning and request for remediation,” Walters sent the district a letter Wednesday signed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s new general counsel, Michael T. Beason, saying the district “must return” $573,588.96 that Walters claims it misspent from 2020–2022. Mid-Del Superintendent Rick Cobb said the district would return the money, but reiterated points he made in January that Walters’ allegations were incorrect. [The Oklahoman]
Judge Orders Injunction; Drummond Fires Lawyer
Former Oklahoma Public Employees Association President Don Keenan filed a lawsuit last year alleging the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Elimination Act of 2022, House Bill 2034, was unconstitutional because it forced state pension systems to drop certain fund managers at a cost to retirees. Oklahoma County District Court Judge Sheila Stinson on Tuesday issued a temporary injunction barring enforcement. The order had little practical effect as retirement system officials had already exercised an exemption to the rule. That didn’t sit well with Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who issued a press release late Thursday saying he shouldn’t have bowed to state Treasurer Todd Russ’ choice of outside counsel. Drummond said the attorney has been fired and the AG’s office will handle the case from here. That attorney is Cheryl Plaxico, the ex-wife of former attorney general Mike Hunter. Plaxico also represents the state’s Virtual Charter School Board in the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Charter School case and previously represented the Office of Management and Enterprise Services in a case against Class Wallet that Drummond had dismissed. [Oklahoma Voice] [Attorney General]
Vendor Files $5.5 Million Lean Against Vinita Theme Park Developer
As Missouri-based Mansion Entertainment Group attempts to tweak the design of the $2 billion American Heartland Theme Park and Resort it has proposed near Vinita, a Canadian firm hired to design the massive project has filed a lien claiming it is owed nearly $5.5 million from unpaid invoices. The filing comes as the Oklahoma Legislature considers a $35 million request from the city of Vinita for water infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the project. [NonDoc]
Garfield County Judge Indicted
The Multi-County Grand Jury on Thursday indicted Garfield County Associate District Judge Brian Lovell on charges related to a February 2023 drive-by shooting near the town of Bison. [Attorney General]
Carl Albert, who served in Congress for 30 years and as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971–1977, was born in McAlester on this day in 1908.
Ciao for now,
Ted Streuli
Executive Director, Oklahoma Watch
tstreuli@oklahomawatch.org
