NC: Sen. Webster's introduces his version of Prop 200
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http://www.ncrumors.com/modules/news/ar ... toryid=226
NC Senate : Sen. Webster's bill to protect taxpayers from burden of illegal immigration
Raleigh – Senator Hugh Webster (R-Alamance) has introduced legislation modeled on Arizona’s Proposition 200, designed to protect North Carolina’s taxpayers and “legal citizenry� from the increasing costs of illegal immigration.
Senate Bill 976, the “Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act,� would require proof of citizenship to register to vote or to qualify for state or locally taxpayer funded benefits.
The bill would also require employers to repay the state’s costs for indigent care of employees who are in the country illegally.
“No one seems to know the full costs, but the impact of more than 300,000 illegal aliens on our state must be substantial,� Webster said.
“The bill is a refined version of Arizona’s public ballot initiative Proposition 200,� Webster said. “Many other states are passing similar bills and this legislation has been met with broad public support.�
“The careful design of Senate Bill 976,� according to Webster, “like similar legislation in other states, has been inevitably shaped by court challenges, changing federal law and international human rights standards.�
Under Webster’s proposed legislation indigents in emergency medical situations, for example, would not be required to prove they are in the United States lawfully before treatment.
Senate Bill 976 requires state and local agencies to cooperate with the U.S. Homeland Security Agency in complying with new and existing standards to facilitate lawful immigration and reporting of criminal activity.
“This is not about race,� Webster said. “This is not about political posturing or hysterics. It is a reasonable approach to a problem many in North Carolina perceive as being out of control.�
“North Carolina has a reputation for being haven for illegal immigration, and in light of a very real threat to our national security, and in the context of a worldwide war against state-sponsored terror, North Carolina must develop a realistic, serious and modernized responsible state policy.�
“We must protect the rights and freedoms of our own taxpaying citizens,� Webster said. “This legislation addresses our financial responsibility as state lawmakers, protects lawful behavior and the special status of being a working and lawful citizen, and it forces state government to standards everyone can understand.�
