Thread: NE: Governor Blasts Lawmakers for Killing Immig Bill

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Governor blasts lawmakers for killing immigration bill
By NATE JENKINSFriday, Feb 29, 2008 - 04:45:51 pm CST

LINCOLN, Neb. - Gov. Dave Heineman angrily ripped into lawmakers Friday for killing a bill he said would help keep illegal immigrants from getting state benefits.

Later, at the same podium, Sen. Ernie Chambers accused Heineman and Attorney General Jon Bruning of pandering to the lowest element in society and "riding a crest of racism."

Heineman said at the outset of a joint news conference with Bruning that he was "extraordinarily disappointed" with the Judiciary Committee for killing the bill Thursday.

"Nebraskans are going to be very upset and very angry," the governor said.

Bruning said Chambers is now running the key Judiciary Committee, which Bruning said has become "an embarrassment to the Legislature."

Chambers is the Legislature's only black lawmaker and one of just a couple minorities in the 49-member group.

The Heineman-backed bill (LB963) would require state agencies to verify that residents applying for state benefits are in the United States legally.

The measure would prohibit illegal immigrants from obtaining state or local retirement, welfare, health, disability, public housing, postsecondary education, food assistance or unemployment benefits.

Chambers took over the podium in the governor's hearing room after Heineman and Bruning left Friday.

He blasted the measure as a do-nothing bill, introduced to appease people angry over illegal immigration at a time when it is a hot political issue and ugly racist sentiments are emerging.

"The governor and the attorney general are riding a crest of racism," Chambers said, later accusing both Bruning and Heineman of not being truthful when they say that a main reason for their support is it would save taxpayers money.

"This is one of the issues where they can play to the lowest element in Nebraska society," Chambers said. "They're being disingenuous."

The governor responded angrily to the suggestion that his support of the bill has racist overtones.

"This is not about racism, this is not about discrimination, this is about fairness and equality," said Heineman, his voice nearly rising to a yell.

Heineman didn't point to specific problems with state agencies providing benefits to illegal immigrants and said he didn't know how many illegal immigrants might be getting state benefits.

Critics of the bill say illegal immigrants already are prohibited under a 1996 federal law from receiving most state benefits.

But Heineman cited statistics from the Department of Labor that he says shows the potential for savings and that illegal immigrants may be tapping state benefits.

Last year, Heineman said, the Department of Labor saved $225,000 by using a Department of Homeland Security database to verify legal status as required by the bill.

The database helped the Department of Labor discover that 78 people were not eligible for benefits.

Heineman has said in the past that states have been forced to take action because the federal government has failed to do so.

"We're responding to a belief we both share ... that hard-earned tax dollars should not pay for benefits for illegal immigrants," Heineman said while flanked at the podium by Bruning.

Members of the committee have expressed concern that the provision for verifying legal U.S. residency disguises Heineman's main reason for wanting the bill to pass: To wipe out a new law that lets illegal immigrants receive in-state tuition.

The 2006 measure is aimed at the children of illegal immigrants brought to Nebraska by their families. The bill passed over Heineman's objections.

Since 2006, 28 University of Nebraska students have taken advantage of the new law.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Brad Ashford of Omaha, said the committee would probably reconsider the bill if Heineman agreed to remove the provision about in-state tuition.

"We haven't agreed to that," said Heineman's spokeswoman, Jen Rae Hein, but she did not rule it out.

On the Net:

Nebraska Legislature: http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov

http://www.kduhtv.com/viewStory.php?id=6553

GOVERNOR, ATTY. GENERAL WANT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL RECONSIDERED
2/29/2008 - 05:05:50 PM

NEBRASKA'S GOVERNOR AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ARE CALLING ON STATE SENATORS TO REVIVE AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL KILLED BY A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.


L–B 963 WOULD HAVE REQUIRED STATE AGENCIES TO VERIFY RESIDENTS APPLYING FOR STATE BENEFITS ARE IN THE UNITED STATES LEGALLY.
CRITICS OF THE BILL SAY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ALREADY ARE FORBIDDEN UNDER A 1996 FEDERAL LAW FROM RECEIVING MOST STATE BENEFITS, BUT GOVERNOR DAVE HEINEMAN BELIEVES MOST NEBRASKANS SUPPORT THE MEASURE.


“LET ME MAKE THE POINT, WE'VE ALREADY DEBATED THE DEATH PENALTY TWICE, IT'S GOING TO BE DEBATED A 3RD TIME HERE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. THIS ISSUE DESERVES TO BE DEBATED BY THE ENTIRE LEGISLATURE AT LEAST ONCE.â€

I like this governor. Would he like to run for POTUS?!