Thread: KS Editorial: Illegal Immigration — Bigger fish

Illegal Immigration — Bigger fish
Legislature's plate is too full with budget woes to put this topic on the table, too
The Capital-Journal Editorial Board
Published Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Some Kansas lawmakers are making plans to revisit the issue of illegal immigration during the 2009 legislative session.

It's a visit best left for another time.

Efforts during the 2008 session to address illegal immigration became contentious and ultimately failed when a compromise bill was defeated 59-57 late in the session.

A revival of those efforts this year, albeit with goals that have been scaled back considerably, could prove just as controversial and consume time and effort better directed toward issues of more immediate concern — such as the state budget and Sunflower Electric Power Corp.'s plan to add more coal-fired generating capacity at its plant near Holcomb in southwest Kansas.

We've said before that the state's budget problem is of such primary importance that legislators should deal with it first and foremost, without being distracted by issues that can wait another day, or year, for a spot on the legislative agenda. However, we've also acknowledged the issue of Sunflower's expansion will be raised again this year and should be dealt with.

Beyond that, legislators should be careful how much work they stack on their plates this year.

Illegal immigration has indeed become a hot issue over the past few years, and we're not suggesting it isn't worthy of debate, once the budget and coal issues have been resolved. This year, taxpayers and voters will be watching most closely to see how legislators and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius deal with a state budget pushed by declining revenues toward a lot of red ink.

Because the state constitution prohibits deficit spending, at least $141 million in previously authorized expenditures must be trimmed from the current budget. And as much as $1 billion in state spending commitments must be cut to avoid deficit spending in the next fiscal year.

Legislators made immigration reform a priority before the 2008 session, but the effort was derailed when enough factions found something they didn't like in a compromise bill. Republicans wanted tougher sanctions against illegal aliens. Democrats wanted some punishment for businesses that knowingly hire illegal workers and avoid paying employee taxes.

A requirement that businesses use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the status of all employees was cut from the bill, as was a requirement law enforcement agencies check the citizenship status of everyone taken into custody.

The bill did retain the state policy of offering children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition at Kansas universities and colleges. About 170 students are taking advantage of that policy, which requires them to have graduated from a Kansas high school.

That policy is one of the targets of plans to revisit immigration this year, as is the call to have everyone who is arrested checked for citizenship status.

Lawmakers pushing a new bill think they can be successful by focusing on a few issues rather than a more comprehensive package.

That may be true, but those taking advantage of the tuition policy are the children of illegal immigrants who came to this country, and Kansas, to find work. If the government hasn't seen fit to deport the parents, and businesses continue to offer employment, why take out our frustrations on the children?

We think that's a question worth debating, when its time comes.

http://cjonline.com/stories/010709/opi_374669569.shtml

We've said before that the state's budget problem is of such primary importance that legislators should deal with it first and foremost, without being distracted by issues that can wait another day, or year, for a spot on the legislative agenda. However, we've also acknowledged the issue of Sunflower's expansion will be raised again this year and should be dealt with.

Illegal Immigration is probably 50% of their budget problem, they are hand in hand problems. Just look at California's budget to take care of Illegals!! What a bunch of do nothing morons!!