Thread: Gov: Legislature should reconsider illegal immigration bill

FedUpInNebraska's note:
This is an open letter Governor Dave Heineman sent to all Nebraska newspapers yesterday, March 3, 2007

Opinion - Opinion

Gov: Legislature should reconsider illegal immigration bill
by Gov. Dave Heineman - 3/3/2008

This session, I worked with Attorney General Jon Bruning to develop a legislative proposal designed to prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving state and local benefits in Nebraska.

LB 963 was introduced in the Legislature by Sen. Mike Friend of Omaha and is a targeted and measured approach to an issue that Nebraskans care deeply about. The federal government has failed to enact changes that would address the issue of illegal immigration and as a result, states have begun to respond with their own proposals.

The policy being pursued in Nebraska centers on a single concept: Illegal immigrants should not receive state and local benefits.

This proposal is limited to an area over which state and local governments have control. It would help ensure that the benefits available to U.S. citizens are preserved for those who truly qualify for assistance.

Under LB 963, state and local agencies would be required to verify an applicant’s legal status with the federal government as part of the benefit enrollment process. Anyone applying for benefits would sign an affidavit declaring they are either a U.S. citizen or a resident alien. Agencies would check that information against a federal database, and applicants determined to be in the country illegally would have their applications for benefits denied.

Enacting LB 963 would prohibit an illegal immigrant from obtaining state or local retirement benefits, welfare, health, disability, public housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, and unemployment benefits.

This bill outlines a single, uniform process to be used by all state agencies and every entity of local or county government to determine eligibility for benefits. It’s important to point out this bill would not impact K-12 education, emergency medical assistance and short-term emergency disaster relief. These are mandated to be provided by the federal government.

LB 963 had a hearing before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee recently. Sen. Friend, the Attorney General and I testified on the merits of the bill. We were joined by a room full of Nebraskans who came to the State Capitol to share their opinions on this bill. Despite the fact that few had the opportunity to testify, nearly every person stayed for the entire six-hour hearing. Yet, 24 hours later, the Judiciary Committee voted to kill LB 963.

The citizens of Nebraska deserve to have this issue debated by the full Legislature. Attorney General Bruning and I have urged the committee to reconsider their vote to advance LB 963 to the full Legislature. I applaud Sen. Pete Pirsch of Omaha, who was the only member of the committee voting to advance the bill.

Solving the problems facing our country with regard to illegal immigration will require action from federal leaders, but this bill is one thing state and local governments can do immediately to ensure that the benefits provided to our residents are preserved for those who truly qualify.

http://www.northplattebulletin.com/inde ... ectionID=5

Here is the Governor's contact information. I think we should call and email and commend him for this bill and encourage him to all he can to end this.


Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 94848
Lincoln, NE 68509-4848

Phone: 402-471-2244
Fax: 402-471-6031


Western Office:
Office of the Governor
4500 Avenue I
P.O. Box 1500
Scottsbluff, NE 69363-1500

Phone: 308-632-1370
Fax: 308-632-1313

FedUpInNebraska, You might want to post the names of those individuals that sat in commitee and voted against this bill. Give them some light.

I just spoke with the Governor's office. I have a message into the analyst for that bill. I asked is there anything we can do to help. I'm awaiting a call back. I'll update when I here from them.

Originally Posted by roundabout

FedUpInNebraska, You might want to post the names of those individuals that sat in commitee and voted against this bill. Give them some light.

Yes, I think that would be a very good idea. It will give us some contact information.

The Governor's office called and thanked me but they did not feel they needed any help at this time. They have a member of the Minuteman helping them. ??????

I offer resources but the analyst wasn't interested. I offered the workshop on illegal immigration on American Solutions. He said, they already had input from the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.