Before being elected to office himself, Terrill had various political jobs, working "as a press intern for Governor
Henry Bellmon, legislative assistant to former House Republican Leader
Larry Ferguson, director of legislative research and special projects for Governor
Frank Keating, political director of the
Oklahoma Republican Party, and as special assistant to Labor Commissioner
Brenda Reneau. 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, a strict law targeting
illegal immigrations 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." 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, a fellow Republican. Terrill denied making threats or using profanity and characterized the reprimand as part of an "orchestrated attack" on him. In that year, Terrill unsuccessfully ran for
Cleveland County commissioner,
Bribery conviction Terrill was a key figure in the
2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation. 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 (D-Oklahoma City) so that she would not run for reelection, clearing the way for State Representative
Mike Christian (R-Oklahoma City) to run for the seat instead. In October 2013, a jury convicted Terrill of bribery. The jury recommended a sentence of one year in prison and a $5,000 fine.) 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 and he entered prison in May 2015. ==Personal life==