Bauer is seeking to gut a bill and stall it in the House
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From the Indy Star:

House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer is eyeing changes to make the controversial immigration bill "less destructive."


The legislation passed the Senate last week, but Bauer said Thursday that he has not decided whether he would give the bill a hearing in the House.
Senate Bill 335 would punish businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. If an employer were to violate the law three times within 10 years, he or she would lose the license to do business in the state.
The legislation also would make it a misdemeanor to transport, shield or harbor an illegal immigrant for commercial or financial gain.
Bauer did not list specific changes he's considering, but he did say he'd like to see the bill more balanced in protecting good-faith businesses while punishing those profiteering from the low wages paid to illegal immigrants.
"We don't want to hurt people, but we also don't want to just not have some kind of guard, protection on our borders so we can manage our economy," Bauer said. "We don't want to destroy those businesses acting responsibly, but those who are not acting responsibly and are profiteering, we want to take that profit away.
"I don't think the bill, as it is now, is balanced. We're working on it."
While SB 335 would punish businesses by revoking state licenses, it also would give local and state law enforcement the power to enforce federal immigration law.
The legislation's author, Sen. Mike Delph, said that without those two provisions, his bill would have little impact.
"As long as those two things are in there, this bill has teeth," said Delph, R-Carmel. "If they take either of those out, they'll water the bill down and make it ineffective."
Business groups have pushed to amend the legislation to remove its license revocation provision.
Hispanic community leaders have asked the House not to hear the legislation at all.
Bauer said he'd assign it for a hearing if he can identify satisfactory changes to address his concerns. When that decision would be made is unclear, but the House has until Feb. 21 to pass bills out of committee.
Delph said lawmakers in the House have told him the bill will receive a hearing.
While Bauer said he's open to addressing immigration, he stressed it's an issue President Bush has failed to address.
"I don't know how us, in little Indiana, can solve the problem," Bauer said, "But if there's a way we can help, we should look at it."


Call Star reporter Bill Ruthhart at (317) 444-2771.