Terrill, Nichols' jail billl "Dead" for session

OKLAHOMA CITY -- While it's not exactly dead, a state Senate bill which would have prevented a county detention center from being built along Franklin Road, is on legislative life support and won't become law this year.

Senate Bill 896 by state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, and state Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, would have stopped county commissioners in Cleveland County from building a new jail facility within two miles of an existing elementary school, secondary school or technology center.

The measure also included Oklahoma and Tulsa counties.

The bill would have prevented Cleveland County commissioners from building a new detention center on a 30-acre plot of land located on Franklin Road and, instead, would have forced them to either expand the county's current facility or build a new jail within one mile of the old one, in downtown Norman.

The measure -- which quickly became controversial -- entered the legislative version of limbo this week, when the Senate adjourned for the year, Thursday evening.

Because the bill was still on the Senate's calendar, it was "held over" for next legislative session, keeping it alive.

"There were concerns about whether there were the necessary votes (for the bill)," Nichols said. "But the vehicle did survive the session and there is plenty of time to improve it."

The drama surrounding the jail's location has been ongoing for several years.

Following reports of overcrowding and threats by state health officials to either fine the county or close the jail if the inmate population isn't reduced, commissioners began scouting for land to build a new facility.

In August 2006, Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis threatend to circulate a initiative petition to move the county seat to Moore, if county officials tried to locate the jail there.

"The majority of county voters live north of Indian Hills," Lewis said. "We shouldn't be forced to have the jail without the rest of county government. Believe me, I wouldn't have any trouble calling for a public vote to move the county seat."

The debate about the jail's location continued, then reached a climax last month.

On April 25 -- following reports that county officials would seek to purchase land on Franklin Road -- local residents lobbied commissioners and packed a special commission meeting to discuss the jail legislation and its proposed location. That same week, state Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman, issued a media statement calling for Terrill and Nichols to withdraw their bill.

"The practical result in our county would be counter-productive to the bill's authors' stated purpose," Sparks said in April. "The passage of this bill would also create an undue burden on the taxpayers."

Since then county officials -- including commissioners from Cleveland, Oklahoma and Tulsa counties -- have lobbied hard against the measure.

"I think it's pretty much dead for the session," said Cleveland County commissioner George Skinner.

Oklahoma County commissioner Ray Vaughan, a Republican, said he, too, had "concerns" about the bill. "I talked to Senator Jolly, our senator from Edmond about it," he said. "Because we're in the position of building an addition to the exsiting jail and considering the relocation of our juvenile justice center."

Vaughan said the bill would make it difficult for Oklahoma County officials to relocate those facilities. "It's going to be tough enough without those kind of restrictions," he said.

Oklahoma County commisioner Jim Roth said he, too, urged Oklahoma County legislators to stop the measure.

"There's a school in virtually every square mile in Oklahoma County," Roth said. "It (the bill) makes it very difficult to relocate a facility. I'm glad it's dead for now. I think it had good intentions, but bad implications for local taxpayers."

Still, even with the controversy, Nichols said he would continue to work on the issue.

"My number one concern is public safety," he said. "We've been working well with citizens and commissioners. The matter is still very much alive, and I continue to listen to all parties involved."

By holding the bill over for the next legislative session, Nichols said there is "opportunity and time" for the bill to be changed and improved.

"It's alive for input," he said. "It could be worked on next session."

Yet for Cleveland County commissioners, the problem of an ever-increasing inmate population and the need for a new detention facility remain.

"We still have to build a jail," Cleveland County commissioner George Skinner said. "Wherever we put the jail, it's going to go in someone's back yard. We've been looking for a jail site for three years. Our county is filling up and there's just not a place to put it."