Thread: FL: Immigration bills get first hearing; time running short

Posted on Wed, Apr. 09, 2008
Immigration bills get first hearing; time running short

ASSOCIATED PRESS
With complaints ranging from drained resources to traffic congestion, Floridians on Tuesday offered legislators feedback on six bills designed to crack down on illegal immigration.

A House committee heard testimony from the public, government officials and sponsors of the bills but it took no immediate action.

With the 60-day legislative session more than half over and the bills still awaiting committee approval, the chances of getting any of the proposals passed look slim.

"I'm very disappointed that an issue that concerns so many people is not getting more serious consideration," said Rep. Don Brown, R-DeFuniak Springs.

Brown is sponsoring a bill (HB 73) that in part would require public employers and contractors to check the immigration status of new hires. It would also require law enforcement agencies to notify federal authorities of any illegal immigrants they arrest or detain.

Some of the other bills discussed before the House State Affairs Committee were similar to Brown's. One (HB 577) would allow the state to send prison inmates who are illegal immigrants back to their home countries after they serve half their sentences. Another (HB 1247) would require prisons and jails to check inmates' immigration status and report anyone not in the country legally to federal authorities.

The committee's chairman, Rep. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, said he wants to eliminate duplication and pick out provisions with the best chance of passing the Senate as well as the House. Similar bills in the Senate, though, have yet to get committee hearings.

Gardiner said his panel didn't take up the immigration bills sooner because it was busy with other issues. He said he thinks there's still a chance the Legislature could pass one or more bills relating to the issue.

State agency officials testified they already do background checks that prevent illegal immigrants from getting Medicaid, food stamps and other public assistance. They also said there's a two-year wait for local and state law enforcement and correctional personnel to get federal training needed to check identification documents.

Department of Corrections legislative director Alex Kelly said the agency already notifies federal authorities of immigrants in state prisons but they sometimes let them stay in the United States after completing their sentences.

He said 5,200 current inmates are immigrants including about 1,800 from Cuba who cannot be sent home. There is no breakdown on how many are illegal.

Brown and other sponsors said they are frustrated Congress hasn't done enough about what should be a federal responsibility.

http://www.bradenton.com/breakingnews/story/516180.html

Fla. House urged to pass immigration bills
By Michael Peltier

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

TALLAHASSEE — A handful of immigration measures bottled up in a House committee finally got a hearing Tuesday, but their collective fates remain uncertain as backers try to convince their colleagues to bring the issues up for a vote.

Meeting before the House Committee on State Affairs, sponsors of six immigration bills urged members to pass meaningful immigration measures despite opposition from business and agricultural groups that rely on undocumented workers.

Then during a two-hour public hearing, panelists heard a litany of complaints from groups advocating tighter immigration rules and standards.

"The fact is the federal government is not doing what it needs to do," said state Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart. "We have a responsibility to the people of the state of Florida to do what we can to protect them."

They also heard from farm worker advocates who countered that the estimated 900,000 illegal immigrants provide a vital service and need to be treated with respect.

"These people are trying to provide for their families," said Margarita Romo, a farm worker advocate from Dade City. "These people aren't terrorists."

Panelists took no vote Tuesday and are expected to roll many of the bills together into one proposal. But even that is not a given. The immigration bills have powerful opponents in the business and agricultural communities.

"There are people in this state who exploit the current situation and they make money off of it," said Rep. Don Brown, R-Defuniak Springs. "They want to continue to make money off of illegal immigration."

Backers of the measures say they are frustrated over federal inaction on the immigration front. Without a national immigration policy, they say states have to step up.

"We want comprehensive immigration reform that is meaningful, that makes illegal aliens go home and wait in line," said William Landes, president of the Minutemen of Florida.

In Martin County, illegal immigrants are costing Martin Memorial Health Systems millions of dollars every year in uncompensated care, said Carol Plato Nicosia, Martin Memorial director of corporate business services.

At least six patients are under going dialysis twice a week and another illegal immigrant has been a patient for more than two years at a cost exceeding $1.5 million, she said.

"The biggest problem is in our emergency room," Nicosia said. "We won't turn them away, we cannot turn them away."

State Rep. Trudi Williams, R-Fort Myers, has a measure that would allow law enforcement officials to provide nonviolent inmates a plane ticket home after they complete half their sentence. With an estimated 5,000 illegal inmates now sitting in Florida prisons, the measure could save the state $100 million a year.

Among the proposals being offered:

• House Bill 73, which requires public employees to verify immigration status of people involved in law enforcement action. Requires citizenship information when applying for a drivers license or state-issued ID card.

• HB107 and SB 424: makes it a third-degree felony to transport illegal immigrants into the state. If the victim is a minor, the penalty jumps to a second-degree felony.

• HB 159: Prohibits state agencies from contracting with employers who do not qualify with federal worker authorization rules.

• HB 571, HB 821 and SB 540, which require law enforcement officials to report illegal immigrants to federal officials.

• HB 577 and SB1086 allow nonviolent offenders to get a plane ticket to their native country and bolsters penalties for deported offenders who return.


www.tcpalm.com

added to the homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article3089.html

All ALIPACers in Florida are asked to assist in this effort!

W

Thanks . I'll start on this tomorrow . My body has been slow accepting a new heart medicine from VA . Not an excuse , just reality .
I have written the house speaker out of miami twice , no reply yet

Here is the latest i've found . I'm still looking for the reason of the Speakers resent turn and questions on these bill .


Home » Bills » Selected Bill Detail
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HB 73 - Illegal Immigration
GENERAL BILL by Brown (CO-SPONSORS) Harrell; Hooper; Nehr; Schenck
Illegal Immigration: Prohibits restrictions on reporting of immigration status information by public employees; prohibits local government restrictions concerning immigration law enforcement; requires verification of immigration status of persons confined for DUI or BUI; limits issuance of driver's licenses to US citizens or persons with specified legal immigration status; limits duration of specified licenses or identification cards; requires public employer participation in specified federal program to verify work authorization status of newly hired employees; requires participation in program by contractors & subcontractors; provides that discharge of US citizen or permanent resident alien employee by employer who on date of discharge employed unauthorized alien is unfair trade practice; provides civil remedy; requires verification of lawful presence of persons over specified age applying for certain public benefits; provides exceptions; provides for affidavit of eligibility & verification of affidavit; provides for penalties for false affidavits; provides for variation of requirements; provides for adjudication of unique individual circumstances due to unusual hardship; prohibits public benefits in violation of specified provisions; provides for reports; prohibits specified actions related to transporting or harboring illegal aliens; provides for memorandum of understanding with specified federal agencies concerning enforcement of specified federal laws.
Effective Date: October 1, 2008.
Last Event: Workshopped on Committee on State Affairs agenda on Friday, April 04, 2008 4:23 PM
Referred Committees and Committee Actions:
- Committee on State Affairs
- Government Efficiency & Accountability Council
- Policy & Budget Council
Related Bills:

Bill # Subject Relationship
HB 107 Human Smuggling Compare
HB 159 Enforcement of Immigration Laws Compare
HB 821 Illegal Immigration Compare
SB 388 Security and Immigration Compliance Act [LPCC] Compare
SB 424 Human Smuggling [LPCC] Compare
SB 624 Human Smuggling [LPCC] Compare
Bill Text:

Original Filed Version
Staff Analysis:

(None Available)
Vote History:

(no votes recorded)
Bill History:

Event Time Member Committee
Workshopped on Committee on State Affairs agenda Friday, April 04, 2008 4:23 PM Committee on State Affairs
1st Reading Tuesday, March 04, 2008 10:58 PM
Now in Committee on State Affairs Thursday, November 29, 2007 2:34 PM Committee on State Affairs
Referred to Committee on State Affairs by Government Efficiency & Accountability Council Thursday, November 29, 2007 2:34 PM Committee on State Affairs
Now in Government Efficiency & Accountability Council Monday, September 10, 2007 1:18 PM Government Efficiency & Accountability Council
Referred to Policy & Budget Council Monday, September 10, 2007 1:18 PM Policy & Budget Council
Referred to Government Efficiency & Accountability Council Monday, September 10, 2007 1:18 PM Government Efficiency & Accountability Council
Filed Friday, August 17, 2007 10:31 AM Brown
Statutes Referenced by this Bill
111.076
125.582
166.04935
316.193
327.35
322.0516
322.08
287.135
409.954
877.28

They also heard from farm worker advocates who countered that the estimated 900,000 illegal immigrants provide a vital service and need to be treated with respect.

"These people are trying to provide for their families," said Margarita Romo, a farm worker advocate from Dade City. "These people aren't terrorists."

Well if they're SOOOOO concerned why don't the businesses volunteer to pay for their health care, education, public services, and incarceration? Could they be any more transparent? They just want cheap labor while citizens subsidize everything else. Their supposed concern for illegals doesn't jive when their offerings only include hard labor for substandard wages in dangerous working conditions. Do they provide health insurance, day care, retirement benefits, or vacation time? So why continue the ruse? It's like saying slaves are better off because at least the owners are looking after them.