Thread: Lawmakers Deadlocked On Immigration Reform

Lawmakers Deadlocked On Immigration Reform

Monday, November 10, 2008 7:10 PM

INDIANAPOLIS — A panel of lawmakers studying illegal Immigration couldn't agree on major legislation to propose in the upcoming legislative session. The group couldn't agree on a more minor bill, either, and barely approved a report outlining its previous meetings.

The committee's disagreements are a sign that Immigration bills proposed during the 2009 session could again spur impassioned speeches, political maneuvering and long hours of committee meetings — with no guarantee of a resolution.

"There's no question that it's going to be challenging, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try," said Sen. Mike Delph, a Republican from Carmel who sponsored legislation last session to crack down on companies hiring illegal workers.

The House and Senate both passed versions of that proposal, but couldn't work out a compromise bill before the session ended.

Lawmakers instead created a summer study committee on the issue in hopes that they could learn more about the complex issue and possibly recommend legislation for consideration in the 2009 session.

The Interim Committee on Immigration Issues met several times this year and heard hours of testimony, which legislators said was helpful. But on Tuesday, at the committee's last meeting, lawmakers couldn't reach agreement on any proposal.

Rep. Scott Pelath, a Democrat from Michigan City who co-chaired the panel, said it would have been too difficult to create a complete Immigration bill that a majority of the group could support.

"We have a divergence of viewpoints on this panel," he said.

So Pelath proposed a more modest bill that would have increased penalties for certain document counterfeiting crimes and would have required the Department of Workforce Development to report annually the number of illegal workers in Indiana and their wages.

But Delph doubted that proposal would solve any real problems, and Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville, questioned how the Department of Workforce Development could come up with Immigration data since lawmakers have struggled to do so.

Pelath withdrew his proposal, asking the group to instead approve a routine committee report that included the minutes from previous meetings and outlined guest speakers' testimony but did not make any policy recommendations.

The committee approved the report, but Delph said he and at least three other lawmakers want to take the unusual step of filing an additional minority report. Delph said the minority report would add more information for lawmakers, such as a court ruling and the results of a statewide poll on Immigration issues.

Delph said he would likely introduce Immigration legislation similar to his previous proposal during the legislative session that begins in January. Sen. Dennis Kruse, a Republican from Auburn and co-chair of the committee, predicted that others would file Immigration proposals as well.

"We will just each go our separate ways and introduce our separate bills," Kruse said.

http://www.newsmax.com/us/immigration_r ... 49799.html

Cowards!