Thread: Ark. legislative committee considering illegal immigration&q

Ark. legislative committee considering illegal immigration"
By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press Writer
LITTLE ROCK
http://www.wkrn.com/nashville/news/ap-a ... 112219.htm

When it comes to illegal immigration, state Rep. Rick Green says that simply standing by could leave Arkansas vulnerable.

Oklahoma and Tennessee passed strict laws this year tightening down on illegal immigrants as the Arkansas Legislature passed a measure aimed only at state contractors. Green compared the circumstances to Wisconsin's, which saw its sex offender population rise as that state lagged behind on matching laws elsewhere in the nation.

"When something like this starts snowballing among the states, if your state does not stand up and pass similar legislation and or barriers to this, you can become a haven," said Green, R-Van Buren.

Green and others in the House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs planned to meet Monday at the state Capitol. The lawmakers are seeking statistics from state agencies on how illegal immigration has affected Arkansas. So far, legislators and candidates calling for stricter laws have offered only anecdotal evidence of immigration's impact, as Arkansas' Hispanic population grows at one of the fastest paces in the nation.

State officials were scheduled to speak on illegal immigration's effect on schools, prisons and the work force. Union officials also were totestify at Monday's hearing.

As Congress flounders on immigration legislation, state legislatures across the nation have increasingly taken on concerns over illegal immigrants. A study by the National Conference of State Legislatures found 171 immigration bills became law in 41 states in the first half of this year. That's more than double the 84 laws that passed in all of 2006.

In Oklahoma, Gov. Brad Henry signed a sweeping immigration bill into law denying jobs and public benefits to illegal immigrants. Tennessee's Legislature passed a bill making it a crime to transport illegal immigrants into the state, as well as revoking business licenses forcompanies that knowingly employ them.

This year, Arkansas legislators passed a bill by Green prohibiting state contractors from hiring illegal immigrants. However, a bill criminalizing the harboring or transportation of illegal immigrants in the state died in a Senate committee after passing the House.

Mexican consul Andres Chao said he did not receive an invitation to attend Monday's hearing and didn't plan to attend, as diplomatic rules prohibit him from becoming involved in local politics. He said slowing the flight of Mexican laborers north involves creating jobs to keep workers in his country, as well as political consensus in Congress on how tohandle Mexican laborers.

"We insist the best solution for the immigration problem is to accept the phenomenon," Chao said.

Census estimates show Arkansas has more than 141,000 Hispanic residents, many living in the northwest corner of the state. Recent studies concluded about half of the state's immigrant population lives in the United States illegally.

But the effect of illegal immigration remains unclear. A study commissioned by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation concluded that state manufacturers and other companies would lose about $1.4 billion in production a year and pay $95 million more for higher wages if illegal immigrants leftArkansas' work force.

In Texas, a report last year from outgoing state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said undocumented immigrants added billions of dollars to the state's economy during the last fiscal year and paid more than enough taxes and fees to offset the cost of state services they received. But the report concluded that local governments spent nearly $930 million more to provide health care to illegal immigrants and incarcerate them than they took in through local taxes.

Green said Arkansas will remain behind the curve on immigration laws until the next legislative session in 2009. Providing statistics from state agencies to lawmakers mayprovide the push to get members to consider going after employers and taking stronger action, he said.

"Prior to Congress' lack of doing anything this summer, I would think Arkansas would be reluctant to do that. I know as a legislator, I would not have been as apt to consider that," Green said. "Now I am because I realize that unless the state does something, nothing is going to be done."

Ark. legislative committee opens meeting on illegal immigration


By JON GAMBRELL


LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas pays about $170 million a year to educate, imprison and provide services to immigrants in the state, state representatives said Monday.

A bulk of the money _ $154 million _ is used in schools, state Rep. Jon Woods said. Legislators did not offer a breakdown on spending between legal and illegal immigrants.

Arkansas' Department of Correction spends about $1.8 million holding illegal immigrants in state prisons last year. In 2004, state courts and police departments spent $14.6 million handling immigrants, legal and illegal.

With the state's Hispanic population growing at one of the fastest rates in the nation, Woods said much of the cost could be blamed on illegal immigration.

A study commissioned by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation concluded that state manufacturers and other companies would lose about $1.4 billion in production a year and pay $95 million more for higher wages if illegal immigrants left Arkansas' work force. However, Woods, R-Springdale, said those numbers are only "one side" of the discussion.

"It's not flawed. They just don't have the full story," Woods said Monday. "It's missing a few pages."

The House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs gathered Monday at the state Capitol. The lawmakers are seeking statistics from state agencies on how illegal immigration has affected Arkansas. So far, legislators and candidates calling for stricter laws have offered only anecdotal evidence of immigration's impact.

State officials were scheduled to speak on illegal immigration's effect on schools, prisons and the work force. Union officials also were to testify at Monday's hearing.

With little progress in Congress on immigration legislation, state legislatures across the nation have increasingly taken on concerns over illegal immigrants. A study by the National Conference of State Legislatures found 171 immigration bills became law in 41 states in the first half of this year. That's more than double the 84 laws that passed in all of 2006.

In Oklahoma, Gov. Brad Henry signed a sweeping immigration bill denying jobs and public benefits to illegal immigrants. Tennessee's Legislature passed a bill making it a crime to transport illegal immigrants into the state, as well as revoking business licenses for companies that knowingly employ them.

This year, Arkansas legislators passed a bill by Rep. Rick Green prohibiting state contractors from hiring illegal immigrants. However, a bill criminalizing the harboring or transportation of illegal immigrants in the state died in a Senate committee after passing the House.

Mexican consul Andres Chao said he did not receive an invitation to attend Monday's hearing and didn't plan to attend, as diplomatic rules prohibit him from becoming involved in local politics. He said slowing the flight of Mexican laborers north involves creating jobs to keep workers in his country, as well as political consensus in Congress on how to handle Mexican laborers.

"We insist the best solution for the immigration problem is to accept the phenomenon," Chao said.

Census estimates show Arkansas has more than 141,000 Hispanic residents, many living in the northwest corner of the state. Recent studies concluded about half of the state's immigrant population lives in the United States illegally.

In Texas, a report last year from outgoing state Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said undocumented immigrants added billions of dollars to the state's economy during the last fiscal year and paid more than enough taxes and fees to offset the cost of state services they received. But the report concluded that local governments spent nearly $930 million more to provide health care to illegal immigrants and incarcerate them than they took in through local taxes.

Green said Arkansas will remain behind the curve on immigration laws until the next legislative session in 2009. Providing statistics from state agencies to lawmakers may provide the push to have members consider going after employers and taking stronger action, he said.

"Prior to Congress' lack of doing anything this summer, I would think Arkansas would be reluctant to do that. I know as a legislator, I would not have been as apt to consider that," said Green, R-Van Buren. "Now I am because I realize that unless the state does something, nothing is going to be done."

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

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