Randy Terrill (born September 29, 1969) is an American politician. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he is a former member of the

Oklahoma House of Representatives The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members introduce and vote on bills and resolutions, provide legislative oversight for state agencies, and help to craft the state's b ...

from

Moore, Oklahoma Moore is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 62,793 at the 2020 census, making Moore the seventh-largest city in the state of Oklahoma. Located between Oklah ...

Early life and education

Terrill was born in

Alva, Oklahoma Alva is a city in and the county seat of Woods County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 4,945 at the 2010 census. Northwestern Oklahoma State University is located in Alva. History Alva was estab ...

on September 29, 1969. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from the

University of Central Oklahoma The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...

and a J.D. from the

University of Oklahoma College of Law The University of Oklahoma College of Law is the professional graduate law school of the University of Oklahoma. It is located on the University's campus in Norman, Oklahoma. The College of Law was founded in 1909 by a resolution of the OU Boar ...

.2005 ''Oklahoma Alamanc''
Oklahoma Department of Libraries, p. 152.

Political career

Before being elected to office himself, Terrill had various political jobs, working "as a press intern for Governor

Henry Bellmon Henry Louis Bellmon (September 3, 1921 – September 29, 2009) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican politician from the U.S. State of Oklahoma. A member of the Oklahoma Legislature, he went on to become both the 18th a ...

, legislative assistant to former House Republican Leader

Larry Ferguson Larry P Ferguson (March 19, 1940 – May 31, 2015) was a college football player for the University of Iowa. He was named a first-team All-American in 1960 and played one season for the Detroit Lions. He has six kids Darrick, Lori, Larry Jr., ...

, director of legislative research and special projects for Governor

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (initially born as David Rowland Keating) (born February 10, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five governors in Okl ...

, political director of the

Oklahoma Republican Party The Oklahoma Republican Party is the Oklahoma state affiliate of the Republican Party (GOP). Along with the Oklahoma Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties in the state. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling ...

, and as special assistant to Labor Commissioner

Brenda Reneau Brenda Reneau (January 4, 1954 – December 5, 2013) was an American Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Reneau served as the Oklahoma Commissioner of Labor for three consecutive terms. First elected in 1994, she was the ...

. Terrill was first elected to the state House in 2004, representing a district in the Oklahoma City suburbs. During his time in the state House, Terrill was known for his sponsorship of " English-only" legislation. Terrill was also known for his sponsorship of

HB1804 Oklahoma House Bill 1804, officially known as the Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act 2007, is a strict anti-illegal immigration law introduced by State Representative Randy Terrill, a Republican from Moore, OK. HB-1804 makes it a fel ...

, a strict law targeting

illegal immigration Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwar ...

s that the Legislature enacted in 2007. The bill was backed by "Immigration Reform for Oklahoma Now" (IRON), an advocacy group that supported legislation to combat what it asserts to be an "illegal alien invasion of America." Terrill touted his legislation as "tougher than Arizona's anti-immigration law"; the measure required "police to determine the status of anyone they lawfully stop and also suspect is an illegal immigrant" and made it "a state crime to lack immigration papers."Michael McNutt
Oklahoma election: Randy Terrill confident of re-election in HD 53
''The Oklahoman'' (October 24, 2010). In March 2011, Terrill was publicly reprimanded by the House in a 67-18 vote after being "accused of using profane language and threatening violence against" House Speaker

Kris Steele Kris Steele (born July 11, 1973) is a United States politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma who served as state representative. Steele served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives as the Speaker of the House, a position he took over after ...

, a fellow Republican.M Scott Carter
Oklahoma House Votes to Reprimand Randy Terrill
''Journal Record'' (March 14, 2011). Terrill denied making threats or using profanity and characterized the reprimand as part of an "orchestrated attack" on him. Terrill was re-elected to a fourth term in 2010; after being charged with bribery, Terrill did not seek reelection in 2012.Nolan Clay
Former Oklahoma Rep. Randy Terrill found guilty of political bribery charge
''The Oklahoman'' (October 29, 2013). In that year, Terrill unsuccessfully ran for

Cleveland County Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

commissioner, losing to Norman School Board member and former police captain Darry Stacy.

Bribery conviction

Terrill was a key figure in the

2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation The 2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation was a criminal investigation that focused on whether Oklahoma State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore), State Representative Mike Christian (R-Oklahoma City), and State Senator Debbe Leftwic ...

. In November 2011, a judge ruled that there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial of Terrill for bribery. The charges involved Terrill's offer of a state job paying $80,000 to State Senator

Debbe Leftwich Debbe Leftwich is a politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Leftwich was a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 2003 until 2010. She won the vacant seat through a special election after the death of her husband and former senator Keith Leftwi ...

(D-Oklahoma City) so that she would not run for reelection, clearing the way for State Representative

Mike Christian Michael Christian is an Australian radio presenter. Along with his co-host Mel Greig, he perpetrated a prank call to the hospital caring for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge that contributed to the suicide of one of the nurses. Career In F ...

(R-Oklahoma City) to run for the seat instead.Nolan Clay
Former Oklahoma Rep. Randy Terrill found guilty of political bribery charge
''The Oklahoman'' (October 29, 2013). In October 2013, a jury convicted Terrill of bribery. The jury recommended a sentence of one year in prison and a $5,000 fine. (Leftwich was convicted the same year of soliciting or accepting a bribe to withdraw as a candidate.Nolan Clay
Former Oklahoma legislator begins prison sentence for bribery conviction
''The Oklahoman'' (May 29, 2015).) In December 2014, Terrill was sentenced to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine. His sentence was upheld by the

Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the Oklahoma state government.

and he entered prison in May 2015. He spent three months in prison and was then released to serve the rest of his sentence while wearing an

ankle monitor The ankle, or the talocrural region, or the jumping bone (informal) is the area where the foot and the leg meet. The ankle includes three joints: the ankle joint proper or talocrural joint, the subtalar joint, and the inferior tibiofibular join ...

, with "movements are restricted to his home and other locations agreed upon" by a probation officer.

Personal life

Terrill is married and has one daughter and son. He and his wife declared bankruptcy in 2005.John Estus & Paul Monies
Oklahoma state Rep. Randy Terrill got home loan during bankruptcy
''The Oklahoman'' (June 20, 2010). In 2008, a federal bankruptcy judge "ordered Terrill to pay $11,301 for failing to disclose loans to his campaign as an asset." Terrill is a

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terrill, Randy Living people Republican Party members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives 1969 births People from Alva, Oklahoma University of Central Oklahoma alumni University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni People from Moore, Oklahoma Oklahoma politicians convicted of crimes