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  1. #1
    Senior Member FedUpinFarmersBranch's Avatar
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    Anti-illegal immigration group in search of signatures

    PUBLISHED ON Monday, June 23, 2008 AT 12:06AM

    Anti-illegal immigration group in search of signatures
    Minutemen host meeting in Selah to rally support for petition
    by Mark Morey
    Yakima Herald-Republic



    Supporters of an initiative that would restrict the state from offering some services to illegal immigrants quietly announced their signature-gathering campaign in Selah on Sunday.

    Craig Keller of Seattle, a board member for Respect Washington, unveiled the effort at a meeting of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, which promotes stricter enforcement of immigration laws and border security. The group has a Yakima chapter.

    Initiative 409 "would require state and local government agencies to cooperate with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws," according to the ballot language.

    Among other restrictions, employers would be required to verify an applicant's ability to work legally in the United States; immigration status would have to be verified before some applicants could receive some state, local and federal public benefits; and driver's licenses could not be issued without proof of immigration status.

    Two similar measures in 2006 and 2007 failed to gather the required 224,000 verified signatures to make it on the ballot for direct consideration by voters.

    I-409 uses a different mechanism -- the initiative to the Legislature. Under that system, supporters must gather the same number of signatures by 10 days before lawmakers convene in January. The Legislature could then issue a counterproposal, which would be considered with voters along the proposed version. If the Legislature did not draft its own, voters would consider only the proposed version, Keller said.

    Although the change in approach had more to do with timing than anything, Keller said it does require lawmakers to more actively consider the issue instead of avoiding it.

    Critics of such legislation say it reduces services available to children and increases health care costs in general, although supporters say anyone under 14 years old would not be affected.

    Initiative backers say they're hoping to develop a statewide network to gather the signatures required to make it on the ballot this time. Keller said they must also raise more funds.

    Roughly half of the estimated $150,000 signatures gathered for the 2007 version came from Eastern Washington. Keller and others credited Grassroots of the Yakima Valley, a group that opposes illegal immigration, with gathering many of the local signatures.








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  2. #2
    Administrator ALIPAC's Avatar
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    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  3. #3
    Senior Member tinybobidaho's Avatar
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    This is why it's so important for Idaho to get an enforcement bill this year. As Washington clamps down, the illegal aliens will pour into Idaho.
    RIP TinybobIdaho -- May God smile upon you in his domain forevermore.

    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

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