Thread: TN House Subcommittee Kills THP Bill to Enforce Immigration

House subcommittee kills THP enforcement of immigration

NASHVILLE, Tenn. A Tennessee House subcommittee Tuesday killed a bill that sought to allow the Highway Patrol to sign an agreement with the federal government to enforce immigration laws.

The House Public Safety and Rural Roads Subcommittee voted 6-to-5 to defeat the measure sponsored by Representative Dolores Gresham of Somerville. The measure had passed a full Senate vote a day earlier.
The bill sought to authorize the commissioner of the state Department of Safety to negotiate an agreement with the U-S Department of Homeland Security. Following training and certification, the troopers would be able to enforce federal immigration and customs laws while conducting their normal duties.

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English driver tests, THP immigration enforcement killed in House


NASHVILLE (AP) — A House subcommittee voted Tuesday to kill proposals that would have required all driver’s license tests to be given only in English and allowed state troopers to begin enforcing immigration laws.

House Transportation Chairman Phillip Pinion urged members of the Public Safety and Rural Roads Subcommittee to vote against the license testing measure.


“Let’s get rid of our redneck image and go back to saying we want people to come here,” said Pinion, D-Union City.

Unlike the version that passed the full Senate earlier, the measure sponsored by Rep. Tom DuBois, R-Columbia, would not have included provisions for the tests to be given in Spanish, Korean or Japanese.

The measure failed on a 6-6 vote, with House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh casting the deciding vote against the bill.

“I think it was a bad bill and I’m glad we held it in committee,” said Naifeh, D-Covington. “Anytime I get the opportunity I’ll vote no on it.”

The committee also voted 6-5 to kill a bill that sought to allow the Tennessee Highway Patrol to sign an agreement with the federal government to enforce immigration laws on the state roads.

The measure sponsored by Rep. Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, had unanimously passed in a full Senate vote a day earlier. It sought to authorize the commissioner of the state Department of Safety to negotiate an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Following training and certification, the troopers would have been able to enforce federal immigration and customs laws while conducting their normal duties.

The House killed a similar bill last year after it passed the Senate.

“The Tennessee Highway Patrol was set up to maintain the safety on our highways,” said Pinion. “That’s why they’re called the Highway Patrol and not the State Police.”

Several Democrats on the committee expressed concern that the measure would also lead state troopers to engage in racial profiling.

Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell said the department was not certain about how much it would cost to enforce immigration laws. Mitchell said the administration also opposed the English-only driver’s tests.

“We serve a very diverse community here in Tennessee,” Mitchell said.

Gov. Phil Bredesen had said he would have considered vetoing the English-only bill if it had passed the Legislature.

DuBois said he is concerned that non-English speakers won’t know how to read traffic signs that are only in English.


Rep. G. A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, responded that the proper solution to that problem is to make sure driving exams adequately test road signs — not to simply exclude non-native speakers from taking the test.

Pinion said he would have been against the bill even if it had the languages approved in the Senate because it would remove the flexibility of adding more languages later.

“Are we going to tell the Germans not to bring their BMW plant here because we won’t let you take the test in German?” Pinion said.

Rep. Nathan Vaughn, D-Kingsport, disagreed with arguments that the bill would have made it more difficult to attract foreign investment.

“I’m just concerned that what we’re trying to do to open everything up to say America is open for business, irrespective about what it does to Americans,” Vaughn said.

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