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MONTGOMERY — While President Bush pushes Congress to overhaul U.S. immigration laws, state Republican leaders are doing some pushing of their own.
They passed a resolution that asks the federal government to seal the country's borders against illegal immigrants.
Republican Party Executive Director Chris Brown said Tuesday that the party's Executive Committee approved a resolution on illegal immigration drafted by Hugh McInnish of Huntsville.
McInnish wants the government to shut the country's borders to illegal immigrants and "employ all practical and legal measures required to achieve this end." The Huntsville engineer said he is concerned that current immigration practices make it easier for terrorists to enter the country and put a greater financial burden on taxpayers.
Although the Alabama party resolution may appear to be in direct opposition to Bush's position, Brown said he does not believe the matter is a real split with Bush. He also does not believe illegal immigration will become a big issue in state politics in next year's political races.
"This passed the state committee with little discussion," said Brown, who sees the issue more as a symbolic gesture than a hard-line political stand. He compared the committee's difference of opinion with Bush to the party's disagreement with Gov. Bob Riley's campaign for Amendment One tax reform in 2003. "We weren't against Gov. Riley; we just did not support that effort," Brown explained.
Nationally, the country's policies on illegal immigration and Bush's push for relaxed standards now fuel competing and divisive legislation in Congress. Brown does not see the same thing happening in Alabama.
McInnish agrees with Brown, but said he wants the country to deal with the problem before it grows. He said Saturday's Executive Committee meeting marked the third or fourth time he introduced the resolution. It passed on a voice vote among 280-300 committee members present.
The executive director of the state Democratic Party does not believe immigration will be an issue among party leaders, said Jim Spearman.
"I would be surprised if it comes up at our meetings," Spearman. He said illegal immigrants apparently do a service that other people do not want to do.
"Basically it puts President Bush in a bad light," he said of the state party's position.
Brown said a much bigger issue than illegal immigration was the committee's weekend vote to encourage Republican candidates not to accept financial support from Paul Hubbert, executive director of the Alabama Education Association and AEA members in upcoming campaigns.
He said the resolution called for keeping politics out of education.
Republicans supported Riley's 4 percent teacher pay increase, while Democrats successfully passed a 6 percent pay raise.
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