The elected representatives in Oklahoma passed a law to stem the tide of illegal immigrants and, faster than you can say "judicial supremacy," a federal judge blocked its enforcement. The court suspended key sections of the law even before it was due to take effect on July 1.
The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act was designed to prevent illegal immigrants from taking jobs from Americans and from evading taxes by working in the underground economy.
The Oklahoma law passed the State Legislature by overwhelming, bipartisan, veto-proof majorities (88-9 in the House, 41-1 in the Senate) and was signed by Democratic Gov. Brad Henry. Public opinion polls reported that the law enjoys 88 percent public approval, and it was recognized as a model for other states to copy.
The law required employers who have contracts with the state of Oklahoma to use the Oklahoma Status Verification System to verify the legal status of their employees. The law expanded the definition of "discrimination" to include firing a U.S. citizen while retaining an illegal as an employee.
The penalty for violating this law was requiring the employer to withhold state taxes in a manner to ensure that Oklahoma would receive all proper employment taxes, including taxes for those employees who are not legally in this country. Oklahoma should certainly be able to protect itself against the non-payment by illegal immigrants of taxes that Americans pay as a matter of course.
Even though the new Oklahoma law didn't go into effect, it is credited with reducing Oklahoma unemployment significantly below the national average. The bill's sponsor, State Rep. Randy Terrill, said, "Oklahoma is no longer OK for illegal aliens."
The big national news this month is the Department of Labor announcement that U.S. unemployment has surged to 5.5 percent, the sharpest monthly spike in 22 years. The unemployment figures are particularly painful for teenagers; only about one-third of 16- to 19-year-olds are likely to get summer jobs.
The employment picture in Oklahoma is quite different: Oklahoma's unemployment rate is now only 3.1 percent and dropping. That's because after the Citizen Protection Act was passed a year ago, illegal immigrants began leaving the state.
Taxes and jobs are not the only reasons why states need to protect their citizens against illegal immigrants. Terrill says, "Our Bureau of Narcotics here in Oklahoma estimates that something in excess of 40 percent of the drug trafficking through Oklahoma is directly attributable to our illegal alien problem."
Overturning the massive votes in the Oklahoma Legislature and the will of the people makes this decision one more example of how courts are trying to make themselves an elite branch of government whose every pronouncement is accepted as "the law of the land." It's time for Americans to rise up and reject the rule of judges and return to rule by our elected representatives.
Three rather obvious things to point out here. First, this is what American citizens want (when was the last time any governmental effort anywhere got 88% approval?). Enforcement. Crackdowns on employers. Getting rid of the illegal alien criminal element that poses a direct danger to citizens. Laws like the one overwhelmingly passed in Oklahoma do exactly that, and this bipartisan legislation is a prime example of how people of all stripes despise our illegal immigration problem and the federal government's total unwillingness to do anything about it. More importantly, this kind of legislation works. The law didn't even go into effect before it has had a massive positive impact on the state. Just imagine if it actually began to be enforced!
Second, look at the effect on the state's economy! While the national unemployment rate has risen sharply, Oklahoma's has dropped to just over half of the national rate! If you wonder how much economic impact illegal aliens have on our economy, this is your answer.
Third, this is another perfect example of judicial tyranny. One man in a black robe has overturned the obvious and clear will of the vast majority of the people in the state of Oklahoma. One man put his own personal agenda above the will of millions of the people he was appointed to serve. One man thought his opinion was superior to the opinion of millions of voters, as well as the law of the land. This is clear -- and dangerous -- judicial tyranny. The next time a child gets killed by an illegal alien drunk driver, I'd like to see this judge get slapped with a lawsuit for blocking this law. The next time a family gets murdered by an illegal alien gang, this judge deserves to be dragged into court to face those left behind and explain why he thought his agenda was more important than a state law that was almost universally accepted.
The appointment of judges, both state and federal, is one of the least discussed but most important powers of elected officials. This is why elections matter. Once a judge is appointed, he's there for life. I wish there was a recall procedure, but I don't know of one. Even if you can't stomach a candidate for other reasons, his judicial appointments will make a difference long after that candidate is out of office.
This is critical to understand, and should be a critical part of your decision when you consider who deserves your vote.
There's my two cents.
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