Thread: S.C.: Immigration bill on tap next week

Immigration bill on tap next week

March 1, 2008

The state legislature will resume discussion of its pending immigration bill this week, with a local legislative crusader against illegal immigration overseeing its final stage.

Three members each of the state House of Representatives and Senate will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday to try to resolve differences in their different versions of the immigration bill. Both chambers agree on a variety of measures to crack down on illegal immigrants through law enforcement, but disagree over the methods private employers should use to check the citizenship of new employees.

After the committee hashes out those differences, the compromise bill will return to both chambers for a vote. If it passes, it will go to Gov. Mark Sanford for a signature.

Among the six legislators entrusted with creating a compromise bill is state Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach.

"Thad has been a leader in the immigration debate," said House Speaker Bobby Harrell, who appointed Viers.

Many measures in the bill were introduced by Viers over the years, Harrell noted. Viers was also instrumental in helping form a Horry County chapter of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, an anti-immigration group that fights for reform and recruits volunteers to patrol the border.

Meanwhile, the Minuteman group is protesting what it calls the "weakening" of the bill, with a rally planned for noon on March 10 on the Capitol steps, according to its Web site.

http://thesunnews.typepad.com/politickt ... n-bil.html

I guess Terry and I will be up on this one. I'll definitely make some calls and let them hear some homegrown reality.

Originally Posted by Chexfive

I guess Terry and I will be up on this one. I'll definitely make some calls and let them hear some homegrown reality.

You are right Chexfive. I am calling people and emailing. I am trying to notify every newspaper in the state also.

Governor asks Legislature to quickly send him an immigration bill


Updated: March 6, 2008 05:21 PM PST

COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - Gov. Mark Sanford is asking state lawmakers to quickly send him a bill that clamps down on illegal immigration in South Carolina.

A conference committee of six House and Senate members began meeting earlier this week to hash out differences in their chambers' separate immigration bills. A meeting set for Thursday was rescheduled for next week.

The Republican governor praises legislators for their work on an issue that both parties have called a priority this election year, but he says neither version is strong enough in requiring businesses to verify their employees' legal status.

Both versions require public agencies and businesses with public contracts to either hire employees who have an approved driver's license or to use a federal program to ensure their employees are legally in the US.

http://www.wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=7978666

Gov. Sanford Issues Statement on Immigration Reform Bill
Published Thursday, March 6, 2008


Columbia, S.C. - March 6, 2008 - Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the immigration reform bills currently being deliberated by a House-Senate conference committee. The bills aimed at addressing illegal immigration in our state were called for by the governor during his State of the State address as part of his "First 30 Days" agenda:

"I'd give the House and Senate real credit for all the hard work they've put in so far on this bill, and for recognizing since Washington has failed to act on this issue that as a state we have to be very clear about not creating incentives for illegal behavior," Gov. Sanford said. "That being said, a real pitfall when it comes to this bill is the idea of not including a meaningful verification requirement for private employees. While there are a number of legitimate issues for the conference committee to debate, all should agree that without some means of verifying the citizenship status of all workers in our state, this bill runs a real risk of not being as effectual as we need for it to be if we're serious about combating this problem."

Currently, the House version of the bill does not contain any verification requirements for private employers. The Senate version contains a requirement for I-9 verification, an ineffective system already employed by the federal government and fraught with the potential for abuse due to ID fraud. Governor Sanford would favor a system similar to what was proposed by Senators Campsen and McConnell, that would require private employers to check South Carolina drivers licenses, a new S.C. version of the I-9, or use the online e-verify system. Four states already use e-verify, including Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Missouri, and neighboring Georgia.

http://www.islandpacket.com/front/story/246030.html

Do you think they spelled that bad though Fomorian?