HB 1804 author blasts bishop's position

In a followup from a report yesterday:

State Rep. Randy Terrill questions the motivation for the support of illegal immigrants.

The chief author of the state's new immigration law took issue Wednesday with a leading Oklahoma clergyman who called the law unjust and immoral.

Roman Catholic Bishop Ed ward J. Slattery of the Tulsa Diocese this week blasted House Bill 1804 in a 22-page pastoral letter, only his second such letter in 14 years as a bishop....

Terrill said HB 1804 does not criminalize help given to illegal immigrants for purely humanitarian, charitable or religious purposes....

HB 1804 cuts off public assistance to illegal immigrants, and so it threatens the work of Catholic Charities.

"Some in the Catholic hierarchy confuse private charity with public charity," Terrill said. "I'm curious what he (the bishop) finds immoral or unjust. It's neither righteous nor just to provide tax money to illegal aliens; it's just plain wrong. The state shouldn't be in the business of subsidizing illegal aliens. If the church wants to do that, fine, but it shouldn't be using taxpayer money...."

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