The Oklahoma State Work Permits and Visas Task Force just missed the mark in a big way. Task forces are a dime a dozen, and I have chaired a few myself. Occasionally they produce something useful, but when a task force report begins with a recommendation to create another government entity, be suspicious.
The first recommendation of the task force to create “an Office of New Oklahomans to promote interagency coordination and collaboration on issues impacting non-citizens” is a bad and unnecessary idea. Taxpayers already bear substantial financial burdens for all sorts of government spending that are not core services. Creating an office to coordinate issues impacting non-citizens is simply NOT a core function of government.
The task force does promote some ideas to get more international talent to Oklahoma. Now, we are all for collaborative efforts that will legally bring more skilled workers to Oklahoma. However, the Departments of Commerce, Labor & the Employment Securities Commission can easily distribute all the information that employers looking for international talent could need. We do NOT need an Oklahoma office of immigration as the report suggests copying from other states.
As for the contention that we need more workers in Oklahoma, I remain concerned that cheap labor from decades of illegal migrants has depressed wages. The fact is that Oklahoma's per capita income is still more than 10% below the national average. Some business folks contend that we need migrants to fill jobs Oklahomans don’t want. I say that the laws of supply and demand will work if wages are allowed to rise accordingly in competition for labor. Government, therefore, should not reward migrants who break the law and depress wage growth.
Finally, the task force calls for giving driver's licenses to migrants, which the report calls “Driver Privilege Cards” for “qualifying non-citizens.” Red alarm bells should be clanging in your head at this point. We can’t hand out driver’s licenses or whatever you call them to illegal immigrants. (If a legal alien has a valid license from his or her home country, an Oklahoma driver's license is not required. These legal workers must carry their driver's license and passport whenever they drive). Once non-citizens are provided an Oklahoma driver’s license, the door to voter fraud swings wide open!
Sometimes, task force reports provide very informative ideas and recommendations for state policymakers to consider. However, this Work Permits and Visas Task Force report needs to be ignored entirely.
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