Thread: Illegals bill heads to Ohio House panel

Illegals bill heads to Ohio House panel

By Mary Lolli
Hamilton JournalNews

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HAMILTON, Ohio -- Voter questions about Ohio's stance on illegal immigration has prompted Assistant House Majority Whip Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, to rush a draft bill into the House Judiciary committee today -- a measure that key proponents haven't even seen.

"I have no idea what the bill says, or how much of my proposals stayed intact," said State Rep. Courtney Combs, R- Hamilton. "All I know is that I was notified last week that Bill Seitz was drafting a bill and taking to the judiciary committee on Tuesday."

Combs said Monday that he had been told the draft bill will contain language that gives local law enforcement the authority to detain suspected illegal immigrants and separate language that makes illegal immigration a state trespass offense.

Another initiative, to make English the official language of Ohio, is now being considered for a separate bill.

"What's driving this is that, as candidates have been covering the state campaigning for the November election, voters have repeatedly asked what they're doing about illegal immigration," Combs said. "By getting some sort of bill before committee, the candidates can now give voters some sort of an answer."

Although a draft may be rushed into committee, no action can be taken at present because the House is out of session until after the November election.

Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones, who worked with Combs to get an Ohio immigration bill before the House, said he hoped the state legislature "has the courage to follow through and get a bill passed."

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... /609120352

This is a state legislature? Usually we're hearing of towns trying to do something but an entire state? And voters keep asking about illegal immigration eh? Like, duh! The entire country is talking about it. Well, we'll see if they really do something after the election.