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.