Sparks opposed to jail bill

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A state Senate bill that would prevent a county detention center from being built along Franklin Road is nothing more than and attempt "to micromanage the business of Cleveland County," an area lawmaker said Monday.

State Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman, said Senate Bill 896 was a bad idea and would cause problems for taxpayers.

"It is not the role of the Oklahoma State Senate to micromanage the affairs of Cleveland County," Sparks said earlier this week. "The Oklahoma Legislature is charged with the responsibility of crafting laws and policy for the entire state."

The bill, by state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, and state Sen. Jonathan Nichols, R-Norman, would prevent commissioners from building a new jail facility along Franklin Road and, instead, force the commission to either expand the current facility or build a new jail within one mile of the old one, in downtown Norman. The Cleveland County Detention Center is in Sparks' Senate District 16.

"Let me be clear," Sparks said. "I am opposed to SB 896, and I am urging Senator Nichols and Representative Terrill to withdraw the legislation."

If the bill remained alive, Sparks said he would urge senators to vote "no."

"Several individuals have contacted me regarding SB 896 and its effect on Cleveland County's efforts to construct a new jail," he said. "Many have mistaken my silence on the issue for support of SB 896. In fact, the practical result in our county would be counter-productive to the bill's authors' stated purpose regarding the safety and security of the citizens of Cleveland County. The passage of this bill would also create an undue burden on the taxpayers."

Local issues, Sparks said, should be resolved locally.

"They (county commissioners) were elected to make this and other decisions regarding the business of Cleveland County," he said. "Cleveland County commissioners don't have to get my, or any other Senate or House member's, permission regarding the way they are doing their jobs. If certain individuals -- including House and Senate members -- don't approve of the job the commissioners are doing, they are free to run for the office of county commissioner."

Sparks also scolded Terrill and Nichols for complaining that they "were not included in the discussion" about the new jail.

"It has been suggested the county commissioners should have contacted the Senate and House members representing Cleveland County not only to obtain their input on the issue, but to be the final word on the decision," Sparks said. "While I may have an opinion regarding the location of the new jail, I was not elected to make this decision. I have not worked on this issue, and I do not have the information to make such a decision."

Despite repeated attempts, Nichols could not be reached for comment Monday.

Should the bill become law, Sparks said it would cause problems for area taxpayers.

"The passage of SB 896 also would increase the likelihood that the jail would be built close to the current Cleveland County courthouse in downtown Norman."

If that occurred, Sparks said, there would be six public schools within a mile of the proposed downtown jail site. "In fact, about 85 percent of Norman Public Schools students will attend school within two miles of the proposed downtown site," he said.

Sparks said the bill also would force Cleveland County "to build an expensive multi-story designed jail due to exorbitant land cost" and unnecessarily hit the wallet of every taxpayer. "The old, outdated, multi-story design requires extra staff and money to monitor each floor. We have all seen the problems such a facility has caused Oklahoma County."

The proposed new downtown jail would be only 40 feet from a 100-year-old neighborhood, Sparks said.

"These are just a few of the many issues the county commissioners must consider while making their decision regarding the location of the new jail. When it comes to the new jail, I am confident our county commissioners can, and will, make the best decision for all of us in Cleveland County."