Thread: GA: Will Senate Cave To House Immigration Bill?

Will Ga. Senate Cave To House Immigration Bill?
Senate Deciding Whether To Agree To Tougher House Version
Written By: Rebekka Schramm - CBS Atlanta Reporter

POSTED: 11:29 pm EDT April 12, 2011
UPDATED: 1:30 pm EDT April 13, 2011

ATLANTA -
Republican leaders in the Georgia Senate are butting heads with their counterparts in the House of Representatives over an attempt to enact an Arizona-style crackdown on illegal immigration.

On Tuesday, the House restored a provision authored by state Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, that puts more teeth into the bill. The Senate wrapped up for the night Tuesday without taking it up.

Thursday is the next and final day of the legislative session.

The current version of the bill contains provisions that would authorize law enforcement officers to verify the immigration status of certain criminal suspects and would penalize people who "knowingly and willingly" transport or harbor illegal immigrants.

It also would require employers with 10 or more workers to use a federal database called E-Verify to check the immigration status of new hires.

D.A. King, an outspoken advocate for immigration reform, said he believes the Senate is under immense pressure to cave in to the House's tougher version.

“Matt Ramsey’s bill is the most well-written, well thought-out piece of state-level immigration enforcement legislation in the entire country,â€

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http://www.cbsatlanta.com/local-video/i ... id=4642450

House toughens Georgia immigration bill
3:33 PM, Apr 13, 2011

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ATLANTA -- The Georgia House has passed a new version of an immigration bill that toughens one passed by the Senate just 12 hours earlier.

Rep. Matt Ramsey, the bill's sponsor, presented a new version of the bill on the floor of the House on Tuesday that puts back in a key provision that would require many private employers to check the immigration status of new hires using a federal database called E-Verify.

Even though illegal immigration was a big campaign issue for Gov. Nathan Deal, on Wednesday the governor said he would not pick sides in the E-Verify debate, but leave it up to Republicans in the House and Senate to decide the program's fate.

"It is a difficult piece of legislation, and we're going to just simply see what they do in these last few hours before the session adjourns," Deal said.

The bill now goes back to the Senate which will decide whether or not to accept the new version.

If the Senate rejects the changes, Ramsey said the bill will likely head to a joint committee, which would hammer out a compromise bill.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article/186 ... ation-bill

Related Thread Here Ga. Has Til Thursday to Tackle Immigration Bill

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-234679-geo ... mmigration