A state Senate task force, chaired by Senator Daisy Lawler and charged with studying the issue of illegal immigration, reported that hospital expenses for births of illegal immigrants costs Oklahoma an estimated 10 million dollars per year. The number of illegal immigrant births last year totaled 2,600. Senator Lawler says the statistics reflect an increase in illegal immigration in Oklahoma and she stressed how important law enforcement will be in next year's legislative session. These revelations come on the heel of comments made by Senator Randy Terrill last month that there were 420 illegal aliens in Oklahoma prisons. The state Department of Corrections says it costs more than 7 million dollars a year to keep them behind bars. Terrill also said Oklahoma spends 2.3 million dollars per year on free health care and other medical services for illegal aliens. Republican gubernatorial nominee Ernest Istook has said that illegal immigration is the Number 1 issue with Oklahomans and he accuses Governor Henry of failing to deal with it, and in fact, has made it "worse". Brad Henry has made our illegal immigration problem worse by sponsoring public benefits for illegal immigrants, such as in-state tuition for people who are here illegally." Posted at 9/19/2006 10:32:00 AM