http://www.standardspeaker.com/index.ph ... 4&Itemid=2

Freeland officials keep eye on city’s IIRA fallout
Thursday, 07 September 2006
By L.A. TARONE
Freeland Borough Council will continue to take a “wait- and-see approach” regarding the Illegal Immigration Relief Act.

This summer, council expressed interest in Hazleton’s ordinance. However, it has opted to sit back and watch what happens with the legal suit against the city.

During Monday night’s meeting in Public Park Pavilion, Mayor Tim Martin brought it up again.

“Many, many people have contacted me and asked us to pass it,” Martin said. “It happens daily. People have even stopped on the street and said, ‘You guys should do what Hazleton did.’ Most people don’t want to wait.”

Martin said he agreed.

Acknowledging the possibility of litigation, he said it was worth the risk because he thought an actual suit was unlikely.

“There have been a host of towns passing laws like that,” Martin said – rattling off the names of some local municipalities which have.

“They can’t sue everyone,” Martin declared.
But council President Paul Thomas disagreed.
He said he supported the “wait-and-see approach.”

“It is a difficult thing,” Thomas said.
He added he was concerned that as suit would hammer Freeland’s finances.

No other council member made comment.

But after the meeting, Solicitor Don Karpowich agreed with Thomas.

“It makes sense (to wait),” Karpowich said.

“Even the city has made so many revisions to it – it’s a lot different from the original one.”

Karpowich said the list of changes might put municipalities that enacted copies of the original version in a legal predicament, having enacted an ordinance that is more difficult to defend in court.

“Let’s wait and see what happens with the city before we do anything,” Karpowich said.