Thread: Call for help in TN. Activists needed in this battle.

FOCUS Team and ALIPAC Activists,

Please set up an organized response to this call for help in Tennessee.

W

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Of UTMOST importance are the following bills now moving through the Tennessee House & Senate. We MUST take the time to let our elected officials here from us regarding these bills. Each and every one has the potential to help de-magnatize our State from the mass influx of illegal aliens. PLEASE take a few minutes to either phone or email (links below to get their contact information) your Senator and Representative to encourage them to for vote FOR the bills listed below.
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The bill that would allow the TN Highway Patrol to begin enforcing federal immigration law (HB 491) is being considered in House Transportation committee on Tuesday at 3:00pm. Because of the hundreds of calls received by committee members from the open-borders lobby, TN Safety Commissioner Mitchell has agreed to meet with (pro-illegal) immigrant leaders in person to address their concerns with the proposal.

The bill that would eliminate the driving certificate program (HB 1827) will be in the House Calendar committee on Tuesday, with a likely House vote this week. The opposition delivered almost 7,000 petitions last Thursday to the Chairman of the House Transportation committee, who has agreed to argue on the House floor for the continued need to ensure that all Tennessee drivers have access to driving safety documents and insurance, never mind that even those illegal aliens who have received TN driving documents still demonstrate a propensity to drive while intoxicated and flee the scene of accidents. We do NOT need people who did not respect our Nation's immigration laws being allowed ANY form of legitimacy by being granted ANY state-issued documentation!!

Please contact your state Senators and Representatives ASAP to voice your support for ALL of the following bills. Their contact information may be found at the following links:

Senators:

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/sena ... s.htm#Find


Representatives:

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/hous ... s.htm#Find



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SB 1604 by Norris, HB 491 by Gresham; the TN Highway Patrol would be permitted to enter into an MOU with ICE to enforce federal immigration law. Passed full Senate on March 19; scheduled for House Transportation on April 10th.

SB 576 by Burks, HB 1216 by Fincher; requires public employers and contractors to check immigrant work authorizations with Basic Pilot program, requires enforcement Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the US Immigration and Customs enforcement agency (ICE) and state "peace officers," requires state and local jailors to check immigration status, imposes tax penalties on employers, and requires state and localemployees to check immigration status for government services. Projected cost of law is $1,870,900 a year. Scheduled for Civil Practice subcommittee on April 10th.

SB 2318 by Ketron, HB 1983 by DuBois; empowers "local law enforcement agencies" to enforce current TN law that makes it "unlawful for any person...to knowingly employ...any individual who has illegally entered the United States." The TN Association of Police Chiefs and the TN Municipal League will likely issue statements opposing this bill. Scheduled for House Consumer & Employees Affairs on April 10th; passed Senate Commerce, Labor, and Agriculture on April 3rd.

SB 1968 by Kyle, HB 1827 by Turner, M, eliminates the Certificate for Driving program. Passed House Transportation and Finance, and referred to House Calendar for a vote; Senate version referred to Transportation.

SB 886 by Ketron, HB 366 by Rowland, eliminates the Certificate for Driving program. Amended in Senate to make it similar to HB 1827, with an effective date of October 1, 2007. Passed full Senate on a 30-0 vote; House version deferred in Public Transportation and Highways until the last calendar of the year.

SB 193 by Burchett, HB 600 by Turner, M; creates new crime of driving with an immigrant into the state of Tennessee, if driver "should have known" the immigrant "illegally entered or remained in the United States." In House Judiciary, Representative Briley expressed concern that this would apply to churches and religious institutions, and offered an amend ment excepting charitable organizations. The sponsor rolled the bill a week to consider the amendment. Scheduled for House Judiciary on April 11th.

SB 1343 by Haynes, HB 70 by Turner, M; illegal Landlord Act: Requires landlords, real estate professionals, or anyone individual selling real property to check immigration status of all purchasers/renters. Scheduled for House Industrial Impact subcommittee on April 11th

SB 227 by Ketron HB 938 by Maggart; requires photo ID to vote, and includes free state IDs. Scheduled for Senate State and Local Government on April 10th.

SB 904 by Ketron, HB 1272 Lynn; requires state/local employees to verify immigration status for government services; mandates use of federal systematic alien verification of entitlement (SAVE) program.

SB 1611 by Norris, HB 409 by Todd; creates new identification requirements for voting, and "requires all public agencies within the state to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to discourage illegal immigration." Scheduled for House Elections subcommittee on April 10th.

SB 1616 by Norris, HB 407 by Todd; creates new crime for all state/local employees who fail to verify immigration status of all applicants for government services. Undocumented immigrants are barred from most entitlement programs, except for those mandated by federal law. Passed House State and Local Government on March 27th, and referred to House Budget subcommittee.

SB 252 by Haynes, HB 66 by Turner, M; creates a state crime for working in Tennessee having "illegally entered the United States," with all compensation to be confiscated. Deferred in Consumer & Employees Affairs committee to a special "immigration" calendar.

SB 253 by Haynes, HB 73 by Turner, M; prevents non-citizen workers from collecting workers' compensation unless "lawfully present for the purposes of performing such services." Scheduled for House Employee Affairs subcommittee on April 11th.

SB 1348 by Haynes, HB 622 by Turner, M; creates Class E felony for knowingly providing false documents for public benefits, and for presenting false documents for purposes of obtaining employment. Passed House State and Local Government on March 27th, and scheduled for House Budget subcommittee on April 11th.

SB 202 by Ketron, HB 729 by Hood; creates Class E felony for "recklessly" or "knowingly" hiring an undocumented immigrant. Scheduled for Senate Commerce, Labor, and Agriculture on April 10th; House version scheduled for House Employee Affairs on April 10th.

SB 254 by Haynes, HB 74 by Turner, M; requires employers retain certain documents, and creates $1,500 penalty for noncompliance; creates a Class E felony for "an employer to knowingly employ an illegal alien" and eliminates current TN code dealing with "employment of illegal aliens." Deferred in House Consumer & Employees Affairs committee for a special "immigration" calendar.

SB 903 by Ketron, HB 1274 Lynn; tax Relief for Undocumented Immigrants Act: prohibits immigrants from paying federal income tax with an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN). House Employee Affairs passed amendment that would exclude banks from new regulations. Passed House Consumer & Employees Affairs on March 27th, and will go to House Calendar and Rules; Senate version passed Commerce, Labor, and Agriculture on April 3rd, and will go to Senate Calendar and Rules.

SB 1870 by Johnson, HB 877 by Johnson, P; creates new penalties, increasing to Class A misdemeanor by 7/1/08. An amendment exists that would require employers to use the Basic Pilot program. Passed Senate Commerce, Labor, and Agriculture on April 3rd, with an amendment.


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Theresa Harmon
Tennesseans for Responsible Immigration Policies
www.TnRIP.org

House Transportation Committee

Phillip Pinion, Chair
Phone (615) 741-0718
mailto:rep.phillip.pinion@legislature.state.tn.us

George W. Fraley, Vice-Chair
Phone (615) 741-8695
Fax (615) 741-5759
mailto:rep.george.fraley@legislature.state.tn.us

Bill Harmon, Secretary
Phone (615) 741-6849
Fax (615) 253-0264
mailto:rep.bill.harmon@legislature.state.tn.us

Curt Cobb
Phone (615) 741-6824
Fax (615) 253-0344
mailto:rep.curt.cobb@legislature.state.tn.us

Vince Dean
Phone (615)741-1934
Fax(615)253-0271
mailto:rep.vince.dean@legislature.state.tn.us

Henry Fincher
Phone (615) 741-1875
mailto:rep.henry.fincher@legislature.state.tn.us

Dale Ford
Phone (615) 741-1717
Fax (615) 253-0301
mailto:rep.dale.ford@legislature.state.tn.us

G. A Hardaway
Phone: (615) 741-5625
Fax: (615) 253-0185
mailto:rep.ga.hardaway@legislature.state.tn.us

Matthew Hill
Phone: 615-741-2251
mailto:rep.matthew.hill@legislature.state.tn.us

Curtis Johnson
Phone (615) 741-4341
mailto:rep.curtis.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us

Phillip Johnson
Phone (615) 741-7477
mailto:rep.phillip.johnson@legislature.state.tn.us

Debra Maggart
Phone (615) 741-3893
Fax (615) 253-0350
mailto:rep.debra.young.maggart@legislature.state.t n.us

Jimmy Matlock
Phone (615) 741-3736
mailto:rep.jimmy.matlock@legislature.state.tn.us

John C. Tidwell
Phone (615) 741-7098
mailto:rep.john.tidwell@legislature.state.tn.us

Nathan Vaughn
Phone (615) 741-6867
mailto:rep.nathan.vaughn@legislature.state.tn.us

Eric Watson
Phone (615) 741-7799
Fax (615) 253-0252
mailto:eric.watson@legislature.state.tn.us

Ben West Jr.
Phone (615) 741-6959
Fax (615) 253-0331
mailto:rep.ben.west@legislature.state.tn.us

Les Winningham
Phone (615) 741-6852
Fax (615) 253-0234
mailto:rep.leslie.winningham@legislature.state.tn. us

About HB491 and Senate version SB1604

This Bill has been passed by the Senate.

Highway Patrol - Requires the department of safety to negotiate an agreement with federal authorities to train certain highway patrol officers to perform certain immigration law enforcement functions; authorizes highway patrol officers certified as trained under such an agreement to enforce federal immigration and customs laws in Tennessee. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Fiscal Summary for *HB0491 / SB1604
Other Fiscal Impact - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will send instructors to Tennessee to train selected officers of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The costs of the five-week training session will be borne by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The costs of travel and per diem for officers to attend the training and the costs of backfill and over-time to cover such officers position while attending the training will be paid for through federal grants administered through the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security. It is estimated that the travel, per-diem, backfill and over-time costs that will be covered by federal grants will exceed $100,000 for the initial training in FY07 and will be less than $50,000 in subsequent years to cover the costs of continued education and to train any new officers added to the program. Any operational costs, such as investigations and over-time, that the Department of Safety incurs in the execution of a Troopers duty as an immigration officer will not be covered by federal grants but will be covered by the State. Such costs can not be quantified but are estimated to be less than $100,000.


Bill Summary for *HB0491 / SB1604

This bill requires the commissioner of safety to negotiate the terms of a memorandum of understanding between the state and the United States department of homeland security concerning the enforcement of federal immigration laws, detention and removals, and investigations in this state. This bill also requires the commissioner to designate appropriate employees of the highway patrol to be trained pursuant to the memorandum. Those officers certified as trained in accordance with the memorandum will be authorized to enforce federal immigration laws while performing within the scope of their authorized duties.

Funding for the training will be provided pursuant to the federal Homeland Security Appropriation Act of 2006 or subsequent federal funding sources.

ON MARCH 19, 2007, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1604, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes this bill permissive rather than mandatory by authorizing the commissioner of safety to negotiate a memorandum of understanding regarding the enforcement of immigration laws by the Tennessee highway patrol. If a memorandum of understanding is entered into, this amendment requires there to be at least one employee of the Tennessee highway patrol in each district office who is trained pursuant to the memorandum of understanding.

Can we channel this into a FOCUS campaign?

W

I am in support of this bill.

Thank you.
George Fraley