OKLAHOMA CITY -- Republican senators who disagree with Rep. Randy Terrill's "official English" resolution are being attacked in radio and newspaper ads.
Radio ads broadcast in Enid over the weekend criticized a rival proposal by Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, that specifies that English is the "common language" of the state. The commercials were paid for by a group identified as "Pro English."
Also, Sen. Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, was blasted in a full-page newspaper ad in Sunday's edition of the Sapulpa Herald. Bingman backs Anderson's bill over Terrill's constitutional amendment.
The radio ad against Anderson asked why the Enid Republican was "joining with the ACLU and other liberal organizations" to pass a substitute measure that would forgo a statewide vote on the issue.
Anderson said his bill provides that no state agency shall be required to produce any document in a language other than English unless required to do so by state or federal law.
He said his common language bill was carefully crafted with American Indian tribal leaders to accomplish "the desired effect" without offending Indians.
"I might add that my bill passed the Senate unanimously. It has the support of the Native American tribes, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and the State Chamber of Commerce," Anderson said.
Bingman said he also had been the target of robocalls -- automated pre-recorded messages -- over his opposition to Terrill's legislation.
He said there were constitutional problems with Terrill's measure and it would open the state to costly lawsuits. Terrill did not return telephone calls to his office and cell phone seeking comment. Terrill has said his proposal is necessary to prevent state driver's licenses exams from being administered in Spanish and to stop other services from being delivered in languages other than English.
In another development, the state Chamber of Oklahoma sent out a memo to state senators opposing Terrill's resolution, saying it will "deter trade, commerce and tourism."
The memo said the business group feels the language in Terrill's plan is too restrictive and "should be replaced with the language currently found" in Anderson's Senate Bill 1156.
It said one prohibition in the Terrill resolution "may well wipe out the federal funding of our hospitals and the health benefits of our Medicare and Medicaid patients."
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