Thread: OR: Flores, Thatcher unleash anti-illegal immigration propos

There are a lot of bills. Please click on the link to review 'package of House bills.'
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http://politicsupdates.blogs.oregonlive ... tem=483083

Flores, Thatcher unleash anti-illegal immigration proposals
Posted by The Oregonian Politics Team February 9, 2007 15:12
Oregonian Politics

Minority Republican legislators unveiled a package of House bills on Friday aimed at curbing illegal immigration -- and put the heat on Democrats to keep their campaign promises to get tough on the topic.

About 100 people showed up for a rally on the Capitol steps, many waving signs urging stricter border control and English as the official language. Headlining the event were Reps. Kim Thatcher of Keizer and Linda Flores of Clackamas, who are co-sponsoring the bills to be introduced on Tuesday.

Ten in all, the proposals range from requiring proof of citizenship before voting to giving police authority to ferret out people here illegally. In addition, House Minority Leader Wayne Scott, R-Canby, said the caucus will introduce two more proposals to give state agencies, such as the DMV and police, the power to crack down on illegal immigrants.

"We hope you will hold your elected officials accountable," Thatcher said. "Make them follow up on all those campaign promises."

She was referring to Democratic candidates in the House and Senate who campaigned last fall to stand against illegal immigration. They're in control now, she says, and they're taking too long to do anything about the issue.

House Democrats say they're not dragging their feet; they're just waiting for the Legislature's lawyers to finish drafting their concepts.

Ramon Ramirez, president of the treeplanters union in Woodburn, said he was surprised by the rally's low turnout. He also said the proposals were "race-based" and promoted "fear and discrimination" without providing any real solutions.

The Republicans' proposals include making English the state's official language; barring the state from hiring undocumented workers; banning human trafficking; and requesting the federal government reimburse the state for housing illegal immigrants.

Also working the crowd on Friday: Jim Ludwick, president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform, was gathering signatures for a possible ballot initiative next fall requiring English immersion classes for K-12 students.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pb ... /702100340

Rally urges immigration reform

Package of 10 proposed bills would target illegal immigration

THELMA GUERRERO
Statesman Journal

February 10, 2007

Two Republican lawmakers are gearing up to introduce a flurry of legislation aimed at immigration reform.

During a legislative rally on the steps of the state Capitol on Friday, state representatives Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, and Linda Flores, R-Clackamas, highlighted a package of 10 proposed bills that would crack down on illegal immigration.

"We have to do something about illegal immigration now," Flores told a gathering of about 150 people. "After all, we're talking about your hard-earned tax dollars."

Called the Sensible Immigration Reform Package, the various pieces of legislation address a range of issues, including voter registration, public assistance and public safety.

Thatcher asked rally-goers to keep the pressure on lawmakers to ensure the proposals would become law.

"When you talk to your elected officials, please, let it be a conversation of reason and not a conversation clouded by rage," Thatcher said. "If we tamp down our emotions (and) speak with reason, it will help us be more successful."

Other speakers at the rally included former state Rep. Jeff Kropf and Rick Hickey, the vice president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform.

"Thirty-two other states have already passed similar bills and if there's 12 million illegal immigrants (in the country) and a quarter of those were to move to Oregon," Hickey said, "we would double our state population in two or three years. We can't do that."

He also pointed out that none of the proposed bills were race-related or would affect legal immigrants.

Thatcher and Flores said the measures were necessary because the federal government had failed to enforce immigration laws.

Thatcher said the measures also were needed to help minimize the role Oregon plays as a magnet for illegal immigrants.

Thatcher said the bills were based "on calls from my constituents."

In the four weeks since the state Legislature has been in session, Thatcher and Flores have introduced 10 other immigration-related bills, all of which take aim at foreigners who entered the country illegally.

At Friday's rally, the two politicians took aim at legislators who they say have done nothing to target illegal immigration.

"It's interesting because several of the bills that were mentioned today were carried over from the last session, which begs the question, if these bills are so important, why didn't the state's Republican-controlled House pass them two years ago?" said House Majority Leader Dave Hunt, D-Gladstone.

"I mean, really, we've only been in session four weeks," he said. "Our starting focus is primarily issues surrounding education, health care, jobs, public safety, issues Oregonians have said are important to them."

However, the House will pass legislation this year related to immigration, he added.

Aeryca Steinbauer, the coordinator of CAUSA, an immigrant-rights advocacy group, said a number of the proposals made during Friday's rally would only undermine public safety and security.

"What we need is a push for just and comprehensive reform at the federal level," she said.

tguerrero@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6815