Thread: IN: Illegal immigration bill moves forward

12:04 PM February 18, 2008
Illegal immigration bill moves forward
By Bill Ruthhart
bill.ruthhart@indystar.com
February 18, 2008

The Indiana House Public Policy Committee voted this morning to approve one of the nation's toughest illegal immigration bills, but only after making a number of changes to the legislation.

The committee voted 7-4 to pass SB 335, which would punish employers for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants.

Among the changes made by the committee was the addition of $1.5 million in funding to help the Attorney General's office and the State Police enforce the legislation. Previously, SB 335 included no money to fund enforcement.

Because the committee added a fiscal impact to the bill, it is now expected to move before the House Ways and Means committee for approval.

Lawmakers also changed SB 335 to apply to all employees. As previously written, the bill only would have applied to workers who worked a certain number of hours within a 12-month period.

The committee also changed the bill to place the responsibility of prosecuting employers from county prosecutor to administrative law judges in the state department of labor.

The bill also would require all employers to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm whether a potential employee is a legal citizen.

Under another change made to SB 335 this morning, the governor would be given the ability to review an administrative law judge's decision to revoke an employer's state license.

As previously written, if an employer was found guilty of knowingly hiring illegal immigrants three times within a 10-year period, the business would lose its state license. Under changes made today, that period was reduced to five years.

While Democrats argued the changes approved this morning made the bill stronger, Republicans pointed to other alterations they say made the bill weaker.

Among those was a change that allowed the State Police Department to choose whether to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with the federal government to enforce federal immigration law. As previously written, the bill required State Police to enter the agreement.

Democrats argued the State Police Department needed the option in case the terms of the agreement weren't favorable.

Another change in the bill dictated that the attorney general "may" inform the department of labor's administrative law judges about possible violations while the legislation previously required the attorney general to refer all cases to local prosecutors.

The bill's author, Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, did not attend the hearing. But its sponsor in the House, Rep. Vern Tincher, D-Riley, said he was optimistic the bill would move through the House Ways and Means committee and then pass the full House.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 1/80218030

House committee passes three-strikes immigration bill
By Bryan Corbin (Contact)
Originally published 12:34 p.m., February 18, 2008
Updated 12:34 p.m., February 18, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS – With Republicans complaining it was watered down and Democrats contending it was strengthened, the "three-strikes" illegal-immigration bill advanced out of an Indiana House committee today.

The House Public Policy Committee made numerous changes to the bill, Senate Bill 335, from the version that passed last month in the state Senate.

Among other things, employers still could face the loss of their business license to operate in Indiana if they are found guilty of employing illegal aliens three times. The difference is, the amended bill shortens the violation period from three times in 10 years to three times in five.

Also, instead of violations being investigated and prosecuted by all 92 county prosecutors in local courts, illegal-alien-hiring cases instead would by heard by an administrative law judge at the state Department of Labor.

If an employer's business license is revoked, it could appeal to the governor, under the new wording to the bill.

The biggest criticism of House Republicans on the committee was that the bill no longer mandates that the superintendent of the Indiana State Police negotiate an agreement with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, to provide training to state troopers on enforcing federal immigration laws. The bill allows the State Police to pursue such an agreement, but does not require it.

State Rep. Trent Van Haaften, D-Mount Vernon, chaired the committee and contended the changes were necessary to close loopholes in the original Senate bill.

The original bill had no funding included. The amended version seeks $1 million for the State Police and $500,000 for the state attorney general's office for immigration enforcement. That appropriation request means the bill goes next to the House Ways and Means Committee, which controls the budget purse strings.

If it passes there, the bill then would go to the full Indiana House, and from there, back to the state Senate.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/f ... gration-b/

Even if watered down, I hope this is signed into law. Hopefully more states will make it clear that while immigrants are welcome, illegal aliens aren't.

Good news....its moving right along

House panel passes immigration amendment
Mon. February 18 - 2008
Peter Schnitzler - pschnitzler@ibj.com
IBJ staff

The debate over making Indiana employers responsible for illegal immigration will live to see another day.

This morning, the House Public Policy Committee voted 7-4 to pass an amended version of a Senate bill that aims to crack down on illegal immigration by targeting their employers.

Under the version passed by the committee, some language relating to state enforcement and investigation was changed from “shallâ€

I included a link to this article collection in today's email alert

W

added to the homepage

http://www.alipac.us/article2971.html

Feb. 19, 2008, 10:03AM
Ind. Committee OKs Immigration Bill
By DEANNA MARTIN Associated Press Writer
© 2008 The Associated Press
Comments (2) Recommend

INDIANAPOLIS — A House committee made several changes to a bill aimed at cracking down on companies hiring illegal immigrants, but lawmakers disagree on whether the revisions water down the legislation or strengthen it.

The amended proposal, which cleared the House Public Policy Committee on a 7-4 vote Monday, would set up a three-tier penalty system for companies that hire illegal immigrants after July 1, 2009. After three incidents within five years, companies could have their business licenses suspended or revoked.

The committee added $1.5 million in state money to help enforce the bill, and removed an exemption for those who hire part-time or seasonal workers.

Rep. Trent Van Haaften, a Democrat from Mount Vernon, said the changes closed loopholes and made the bill stronger.

"The lack of money in the bill was a problem," said Van Haaften, the committee chairman. "We were setting up a system without any ability to carry it out."

But some Republicans on the committee complained about other changes to the bill. Under the original legislation, for example, the attorney general would investigate complaints of illegal workers and would be required to turn over the findings to local prosecutors.

The amendment shifted enforcement from local prosecutors to administrative law judges and the state Department of Labor. The amendment states that the attorney general's office "may" notify the department of its findings, but does not require it.

Van Haaften said it makes sense to handle license revocation administratively rather than in clogged courts, and that he trusts the attorney general and state government to take action if companies break the law.

But Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Lakeville, said she didn't want to leave things up to the executive branch.

"We trusted our congressmen, too," she said. "We trusted our federal senators. We trusted the president. We trusted all these people and now we're going to trust the executive branch again."

The amendment made some improvements, but weakened the bill on the whole, said Rep. Eric Turner, R-Marion.

"Overall, it's watered down the message," he said.

Van Haaften urged House Republicans to consider the public policy created by the bill, not the politics surrounding the issue.

Democrats have a narrow 51-49 majority in the House, and this is an election year.

"I think we're still going to see some politics played on this bill," Van Haaften said.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Mike Delph of Carmel, said he thought the amended bill still had teeth, and hoped to see it pass the full House. If it does, the bill would likely to go a conference committee, where Senate and House members could try to work out a compromise on the details.

"The legislative process is a very long one," Delph said. "I'm just very happy and thankful that they're moving the bill forward. It's a very important bill for the state of Indiana."

The bill could next move to the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration since the legislation includes funding. The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Vern Tincher, D-Riley, said he was confident he would get a hearing in that committee before a key deadline.
http://www.chron.com:80/disp/story.mpl/ ... 52149.html

Overall, I think this is a fine bill. We couldn't get anything done on illegals when I lived in Illinois - the city of Chicago and the state are sanctuary to them. I moved to Indiana last summer and now the state is getting tough on illegals. I think it's great.

Compared to the Chicago area, when you see road crews along I-94 and some of the state roads here in Northwest Indiana, you don't see any Mexicans. Now I'm not saying, of course, that I have a problem with them. It's the illegal ones I do. They're all over Chicago and northern Illinois. Here in northwest Indiana, I saw black and white men working on our roads but no Mexicans. This is quite telling about this state overall.

I had e-mailed the entire Public Policy committee last Thursday on this legislation and got a personal response from Rep. Van Haaften, the committee chairman. He was the one who pointed out to me the loophole in the legislation that could invariably allow illegals, such as summer workers and day laborers, to go from job to job with impunity since Sen. Delph's bill required only those who have worked a year or more (1500 hours) to be reported by employers.

He said he would work to close the loophole and it looks like he did as he said by including all illegals, not just those who worked a certain number of hours.

And this from a Democrat. How about that?

The other concerns, as I seem to understand them, are matters of lesser significance. Of course, they can and will be ironed out in committee. My hope and prayer is that Sen. Delph's bill will carry the day, minus the loophole in his legislation and the closure of that loophole by the House committee. If he thinks it's good, so do I. I spoke with one of his aides last month and he is very committed to this legislation. They asked me to come and testify but I was unable to do so on short notice. But it's a far cry from Illinois and can only help the otherwise fairly good quality of life I already experience living here in this part of the country.

The ACLU opposes this legislation. I say screw them. And every legal Hoosier who wants our borders under control and illegals ousted from this state should tell the ACLU as well where to go.

www.stoptheaclu.org

The bill also would require all employers to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm whether a potential employee is a legal citizen.

This is the most important aspect of the bill.