Thread: Immigration bills bring up stiff penalties for businesses-NE

Opinion
Immigration bills bring up stiff penalties for businesses
John Wightman, Nebraska View
02/02/2008
Updated 02/02/2008 08:13:41 AM CST
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The Legislature will be confronted this session with at least two major bills dealing with illegal immigration. Both bills, LB1170, introduced by Sen. Tom White of Omaha, and LB 963, introduced by Sen. Mike Friend of Omaha on behalf of the governor, would have a substantial effect on the state economy if passed, but an even greater impact to our immediate area, and particularly to Lexington and the surrounding area.

The Legislature will be confronted this session with at least two major bills dealing with illegal immigration. Both bills, LB1170, introduced by Sen. Tom White of Omaha, and LB 963, introduced by Sen. Mike Friend of Omaha on behalf of the governor, would have a substantial effect on the state economy if passed, but an even greater impact to our immediate area, and particularly to Lexington and the surrounding area.

In summary, LB1170 would provide that a legal action could be filed by the state attorney general or any citizen of the state against any employer who knowingly or recklessly employs illegal aliens, subjecting the employer to damages for all public benefits received by those employees who are not legally in the country. These so-called benefits, which might be subject to reimbursement by the employer, include public education costs, health care costs and public assistance.

I have a great concern that if this bill were to pass, it would severely restrict Nebraska from attracting business to our state, or even to expand, or relocate or branch out existing businesses currently in our state. It is also possible that we might have large businesses close existing plants in our area. If a company has a number of plants in the United States and they determine that they have excessive capacity across the country, certainly one of the considerations would be what restrictions the state has adopted that make it burdensome to do business.

While the governor’s proposal, LB963, is less burdensome to business and less punitive to illegal workers in that it would eliminate many benefits and eliminate the present entitlement to in-state tuition to certain illegal immigrants, its long-term effect is that it will probably make it more difficult for firms to maintain a stable workforce in our area.

Changing the residency requirements that allowed children of illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state tuition was a contentious issue during the 2006 Legislature. While most people understand that the Legislature granted the right to receive in-state tuition, few realize that this right was limited only to students who had attended a Nebraska high school for three years, and had initiated the process to become a legal resident.

These students are currently residents of Nebraska. Many of them are good students. A strong argument can be made that they will make a much greater contribution to this state after receiving postsecondary education.

It is difficult to discuss the issue of illegal immigration without discussing more than the cost of public benefits paid to illegal employees and their families, and the possibility that they are taking away higher paying jobs.

Probably in many instances the question is not one of providing higher wages for our legal residents but whether the products now being raised and processed in the United States will be raised and processed in another country and shipped to here, entirely eliminating the jobs in our country.

I am certain this is true of much of our vegetable and fruit processing industry. Of more concern to our area is that it may also be true of much of our cattle and hog production and processing.

The entire question of how we handle the issue of illegal immigration will be addressed in future columns as we move closer to the public hearings of both bills.

John Wightman of Lexington represents the 36th Legislative District. It includes all of Buffalo County except the city of Kearney, and Dawson County north of the Platte River.

e-mail to:
jwightman@leg.ne.gov

http://www.kearneyhub.com/site/news.cfm ... 7573&rfi=6

There's no doubt that State Representative John Wightman of Nebraska is using the Kearney, Nebraska newspaper to "pander" to local "open-borders" enthusiasts and big business. As a conservative, for example, I am all for business but not at the expense of the taxpayer and legal citizens of the state. All the meatpackers are doing is getting cheap labor and passing the social cost onto the Nebraska taxpayers!

This story was in the Lexington paper too but unfortunately it wasn't on their web site. According to the article Wightman does seem to know that Lexington businesses are hiring illegals. Tyson is our biggest employer. Why doesn't ICE ever visit?

Originally Posted by Mayday

This story was in the Lexington paper too but unfortunately it wasn't on their web site. According to the article Wightman does seem to know that Lexington businesses are hiring illegals. Tyson is our biggest employer. Why doesn't ICE ever visit?

Is Wrightman, the state representative for Lexington? Why don't you write a letter to the editor of at least the Kearney newspaper and point that out if it doesn't appear in the Lexington newspaper? Sounds like someone needs to run for his seat!