Thread: SC: Senate Passes Nation’s Strongest Illegal Immig Reform

Progress on immigration
State Senate passes breakthrough reform plan

By Yvonne Wenger
The Post and Courier
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Immigration reform
The issue: State legislators have been wrestling over how employers verify whether a worker is in the country legally.

What happened: The Senate approved a bill that would impose fines on employers up to $10,000 for each illegally hired worker.

What's next?: The Senate agreed to give the bill automatic final approval today and send the bill to the House for consideration next week.

COLUMBIA — The state Senate broke a filibuster late Wednesday to approve a measure that would fine employers up to $10,000 for every illegal immigrant hired in South Carolina. The bill is an attempt to break weeks of deadlock with the House over immigration reform.

"The Senate passed the most aggressive illegal immigration reform bill in the nation," said Sen. Jim Ritchie, R-Spartanburg, who has studied the issue on behalf the Senate for more than two years.

The bill contains a long list of provisions that House and Senateon, such as a mandate that prisons check the legal status of criminals. The measure passed second reading on a voice vote with the provision that it will get final approval today with no debate.

What the Senate voted for Wednesday also would impose new standards for the hiring of all South Carolina workers.

Employers would be required to check a worker's legal status using a state driver's license or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's online E-Verify. The bill offers a third option, a newly created S.C. Verify that would mirror the federal I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form.

S.C. Verify would be a paper alternative to federal E-Verify. The state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation would monitor and fine employers that hire workers whose Social Security numbers are bogus.

The highlights include:

--Identities of the workers and the employers would be turned over to state and federal authorities.

--Penalties would start at $100 per employee for negligence that would begin with poor record keeping. If an employer intentionally hires an illegal immigrant, fines would begin at $250 per employee for a first offense and rise to up to $10,000 per employee on a third offense.

While the senators were mindful of due process rights for employers, Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said the bill gets around a loophole in earlier versions. Critics opposed the inclusion of the federal I-9 form because the federal government does not endorse any consequences.

"You're hiring illegals? This state will have an aggressive monitoring and penalty system," McConnell said.

Enforcement and penalties for workers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants would kick in as soon as the ink dries on the governor's signature. Participation in the state and federal verification systems would be phased in beginning July 2009 for employers with at least 100 workers and extended to 2010 for smaller employers.

The bill is set to receive automatic final approval in the Senate today and to shoot over to the House for consideration first thing next week.

House Majority Leader Jim Merrill, R-Daniel Island, said the House will give it a full vetting. He hadn't had the chance to review the provisions of the bill late Wednesday.

"I know we will take a very measured approach to the Senate's overtures and give it every consideration," Merrill said. "I just hope they are not being a little slippery with the creation of this new verification form."

The House favors limiting employers to state driver's licenses and the federal E-Verify to check worker verification, he said. The House, though, has never taken a vote on hiring standards for private employers.

Gov. Mark Sanford was heavily critical of the Senate, and he said he is depending on the House to straighten out the bill by requiring employers to use only E-Verify or state driver's licenses.

"It's clear now that while many in the Senate talk the talk on this front, few walk the walk," Sanford said in a statement. He said Senate Republicans should have held strong against a filibuster by Democrats, and he said that by failing to take a recorded vote on the bill showed "political cowardice."

"One might suggest that the only alternative is for every voter who cares about meaningful immigration reform to hold the entire Senate accountable until individual Senators have the courage to stand up and make known what they believe."

www.charleston.net

it really angers me that the state of North Carolina is not doing the same as other states (ie) South Carolina is doing to discourage illegals from settling here in our state. And making it so that those already here will leave.

Originally Posted by LadyStClaire

it really angers me that the state of North Carolina is not doing the same as other states (ie) South Carolina is doing to discourage illegals from settling here in our state. And making it so that those already here will leave.

The more States in your region that pass laws to stop the invasion of ILLEGALS the more ILLEGALS will scurry to the unprotected states. We have found that out in Texas after Oklahoma and Arizona past laws to protect their states!

I d My Dear Fellow South Carolinians,

I hate to tell you that the Senate is the main culprit behind these games. Whether Jim Ritchie is a puppet for the lobby groups or whether Senate President Pro-Tempore Glenn McConnell is calling the shots and also is beholden to big business, the bottom line is that Ritchie will not stand up to his "colleagues" in this incestuous chamber that we call the State Senate. I don't think Ritchie knows where he stands. He still refuses to out his "colleagues" in the senate who are betraying the people. Thanks to the Farm Bureau's press release last month, we know that Republican Senator Harvey Peeler is one of the traitors. I will do what I can to find out who else is betraying us. But Senator Ritchie, who is the chair of this conference committee, has shown no leadership in this process whatsoever. Ladies and Gentlemen, I must submit to you that we must replace every single senator in South Carolina that has primary opposition. If they have general election opposition only, then we should replace them in November. Our number one goal should be to defeat as many incumbents as possible in both the SC Senate and the SC House and the US Congress and US Senate.

If incumbents are running unopposed, we should find petition candidates to run against them. The deadline for getting the needed signatures to run as an independent is in July. Please contact your county election commission.

We cannot afford to let up on our phone calls. We cannot let up on our emails (see instructions below).

From the reports that I received Wednesday afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce placed cards on each senators' and house members' desk stating that removing the I-9 provision was "not business friendly." Additionally, lobbyists for the SC Farm Bureau Federation were pressuring legislators not to take out the I-9 provisions. Folks, we have a real serious problem here. Who is in charge of our senators and house members? To whom are they listening? Who do they represent?



Could it be that our senators are taking a page from the US Senate, when a few senators allowed the US Chamber of Commerce, LaRaza, the Farm Bureau Federation and other lobbyists to dictate to them what to do. Were there only senators present at this "executive session?" THIS IS WRONG FOR US! DO SENATORS THINK THAT THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW? A rhetorical question...

It is imperative that as soon as you read this message you call and e-mail your legislators or all legislators. Through your persistence we will prevail. Senators are feeling the heat, particularly those who have primary or general election opposition. This is an opportunity that won't happen again until 2010. South Carolina cannot afford to wait two more years, or in the senate's case, four more years.

We must prevail or South Carolina will fail!

Please Also Call and/or email your legislator by clicking here: (Find Your Legislator ).

OR You Can Go To: TargetOC.org/sc To Email As Many Legislators As you Want!
Go to this link below to see the rest of Illegal Immigration news etc.. http://americanshavehadenough.org/links ... ay.htmRoan Garcia-Quintanao not know where everybody is getting their information about Jim Ritchie, but the messages that I am getting in my state tells a completely different story. Read the following.

Roan knows more about the illegal immigration legislation in South Carolina that anybody else does. Read what he has to say about Senator Jim Ritchie'----



HERE IS THE LATEST (Posted April 30) ON IMMIGRATION IN SC



My Dear Fellow South Carolinians,

Once again, Senator Jim Ritchie has done another 180°. As I stated early Wednesday Morning on the SC Upcountry WORD-AM's Russ and Lisa Show, "Jim Ritchie has done so many 180's that he could have drawn several circles." As you can see from the Governor's press release above, Ritchie and his beloved senate "colleagues" have done another 180°. Senator Ritchie deserves the nickname: "180 Jim" as he continues to go full circles, 180 degrees at a time.

Here is what happened on Wednesday, in case you were not able to watch the Senate on cable or on the internet:

Senator Ritchie took over the Senate floor after the Senate conducted some preliminary business Wednesday after 11:00 AM. Remember that Wednesday was the day when Amendment 1 (i.e., inserting into the old H3032 the S392 Conference Committee Report language that removed the I-9 Form as an option for private employers to use to verify the legal status of their employees) was supposed to be passed. After re-explaining E-Verify to his "colleagues" yet one more time, "180 Jim" made a terrible procedural move by calling for a vote on Amendment 1 prematurely. It was premature because Ritchie's arrogance led him to rush to a vote on the adoption of the amendment, without making sure that he had the necessary votes to override any filibuster that the opposition would impose. Being a veteran of the SC Senate, Democrat Ultra-Liberal Senator John Land seized this tremendous opportunity that "180 Jim" opened for those opposing real "all-encompassing" immigration reform and began a filibuster. Had "180 Jim" counted his eggs before they hatched, he would have known that he was short of the votes necessary to stop a filibuster. Whereas it takes 24 votes to pass the amendment offered by "180 Jim" and ten other senators, it takes 26 votes to stop a filibuster. Even though there were Democrats who were willing to vote for the amendment, they were not going to go against their Minority Leader, Senator John Land. We have said it here before and we will say it again, "180 Jim" Ritchie is ineffective and incapable of leading South Carolina's fight against illegal immigration, despite his and Senate President Pro-Tempore Glenn McConnell's claims to the contrary. Speaking of McConnell...Why did he not co-sponsor the Amendment 1 to H3032?

In the past, filibusters lasted through the night. I remember when not so long ago, sleeping cots were brought to the senate chambers so that senators could sleep while others continued talking overnight. This was not the case Wednesday. Giving in to the filibuster, Glenn Mcconnel proposed Amendment No. 7 co-sponsored by Senators McCONNELL, THOMAS, SHEHEEN, MARTIN, KNOTTS, SCOTT, HAWKINS, LOURIE and CROMER, which was adopted (the names in red did not sponsor Amendment 1; the names in blue sponsored both, Amendments 1 & 7). When you look at some of the sponsors of this amendment, you will agree with me that it does not take a rocket scientist to conclude that this amendment is "illegal-alien friendly," just like the "Shame-ber" of Commerce and its sidekick, the "Animal Farm" Bureau are. Knotts and Cromer are under tremendous influence from the chicken-processing folks in the counties they represent (Lexington, Newberry and Saluda). Sheheen's neighbor, who takes care of his kids, has a landscaping business that hires illegals, as was implied during his testimony before one of the Senate hearings back in 2006. We cannot figure out what's in this for Hawkins, but he has been illegal-alien friendly for some reason. Even though Hawkins is retiring from the SC Senate, there is no telling what is waiting in the wings as a consequence of his votes. Remember State Senator Tommy Moore and payday lending? It paid, indeed!

Here is how Amendment 7 betrays "we the people" by adding the following option/loophole:

Section 41-8-20. (A) On and after July 1, 2009, all private employers of one hundred or more employees who are required by federal law to complete and maintain federal Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification documents must:

2) timely and properly complete and maintain both the employer and employee portions of the SC Verify Form, as provided for in Section 41-8-40, and maintain those documents in accordance with state law, pursuant to this chapter; or

Section 41-8-40. The director of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation shall prescribe an employment verification form, to be called the SC Verify Form. The form must comply with federal immigration and employment laws and must provide a list of acceptable documents to be used to verify employment eligibility as provided in federal law. The director shall promulgate regulations considered necessary to administer and effectuate this chapter in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 23 of Title 1 of the South Carolina Code of Laws.

WE DON'T NEED A SOUTH CAROLINA VERIFY FORM! THIS WILL NOT BE AN ELECTRONIC VERIFICATION SYSTEM. THIS WILL BE A FORM, JUST LIKE THE I-9 AND WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT THE I-9 HAS. IT SHOULD BE CALLED SC I-9 FORM

Besides the fact that this system will be inadequate, it will cost the South Carolina taxpayers, at a time when we are facing revenue shortfalls. Besides, the SC LLR already has enough on their plate. Do we want them to enforce illegal alien hiring. Besides, E-Verify has a tremendously high rate of success, having passed a two-year pilot phase.

Here is what "180 Jim" wrote in an e-mail to a voter who inquired about what he had done:

XXXXXX,

The I-9 is out. E-Verify is in and we have also gone beyond E-verify with the SC-Verify program.

SC-Verify is a South Carolina a very aggressive verification program. It is enforceable, auditable and verifiable. If an employer chooses SC-Verify he is subject to being audited by LLR for all of his employees.

In addition, if someone makes a complaint to LLR about illegal labor at a business, LLR must investigate that employer. If an employer did not comply with the law, there are civil fines from $200 to $10,000 per illegal employee and severe tax penalties. In addition, LLR must inform federal officials of the violation for further federal action. In addition there are criminal penalties of a felony for violating the law.

If an employer uses E-Verify, he is still subject to fines and penalties if he used a false id to get a good "match" for his employee. There is no way to hide in the shadows.

It is one of the most aggressive bills in the nation.

Thanks for all of your support this week. Without you we could not have won.

all the best,

Jim

Now, either "180 Jim" is delusional, or he is just plain ole mendacious. Either way, he and the South Carolina Senate have created yet another loophole. Like Yogi Berra once said, "This is DéjÃ* Vu All Over Again!" Recall that after the senate added the E-Verify to S392, it was "180 Jim" who inserted the I-9 option. Now after inserting the language of the S392 Conference Committee into H3032, he turns around and neuters H3032 by throwing in a loopholes. What's up with the loopholes "180 Jim?" Let's adapt "180-Jim" 's own saying, "No Good Bill Goes Un-Loop-holed!"

The Senate Saga will reconvene at 11:00 AM TODAY. This will be third reading, as they ram-rodded two readings of the new loophole on Wednesday and did not take roll-call votes. I don't think they will remove the new loophole, so we must ask our senators to kill the bill AND TAKE A ROLL-CALL! If the Senate ignores our calls and passes the flawed H3032, then we must contact the House members immediately and over the weekend to ask them to remove the loophole.

WHAT YOU MUST DO TODAY: As soon as you read this, you must make your phone calls and emails to your senators first and then as many others as you can. If you don't read this until after 11:00 AM, use your emails. All the senators have a laptop in front of them.

Ask Them To Vote "NO" on H3032!

Watch The Senate Live! If you have cable television, you may be able to watch the senate live on your TV! I know that Charter Cable provides the channel and Dish Satellite does not. However, if you have high-speed internet (no dial-ups), you can also watch the senate live. Just go to http://scstatehouse.net and underneath the senate seal you will see links to "RealPlayer," "RealPlayer(cc)," and "MediaPlayer." Click on the one that you have on your computer, sit back, relax and watch the show. It has become a real show, albeit a sad one! They will probably just meet for a short time, as other meetings are scheduled for that afternoon. So watch carefully.

PLEASE BE READY TO E-MAIL & MAKE PHONE CALLS

TO SENATE MEMBERS TODAY!

Click Here for Current Senate Calendar Click Here for Current Senate Journal

Click Here for Current House Calendar Click Here for Current House Journal

THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE

TO PASS REAL IMMIGRATION REFORM THIS YEAR!

It is imperative that as soon as you read this message you call and e-mail your SENATORS or ALL SENATORS. Through your persistence we will prevail. Senators are feeling the heat, particularly those who have primary or general election opposition. This is an opportunity that won't happen again until 2010. South Carolina cannot afford to wait two more years, or in the senate's case, four more years.

We must prevail or South Carolina will fail!

Please Also Call and/or email your legislator by clicking here: (Find Your Legislator ).

OR You Can Go To: TargetOC.org/sc To Email As Many Legislators As you Want!

You may want to cut and paste the emails from ALL House members and All Senate Members into your personal account in case the legislators are ignoring the emails

SC Senate passes heavy fines for hiring illegal immigrants
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 01:49 AM

State senators have passed a bill that would impose fines up to $10,000 for employers who knowingly hire an illegal immigrant.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - State senators have passed a bill that would impose fines up to $10,000 for employers who knowingly hire an illegal immigrant.

Senators gave the bill a key second reading this evening with an agreement to give it final approval Thursday. It will then move back to the House.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell calls the bill the toughest against illegal immigration in the country. Employers who fail to have proper paperwork on hand could face a fine of up to $100 for each illegal worker.

But employers knowingly breaking the law would face up to a $2,500 fine for each illegal immigrant on the payroll for a first offense. The fine can be as much as $5,000 for each worker on a second offense and $10,000 each for a third offense.
http://www.wspa.com:80/midatlantic/spa/ ... -0002.html

SC Senate passes heavy fines for hiring illegal immigrants
By JIM DAVENPORT - Associated Press Writer

COLUMBIA, S.C. --South Carolina employers could face fines up to $10,000 for each illegal immigrant they hire under legislation the state Senate has passed.

The bill won second reading Wednesday on a voice vote with an agreement that it would get final approval Thursday with no debate. It will then move back to the House.

The approval came after a daylong debate. Senate leaders abandoned a compromise worked out with the House that had brought two weeks of bickering between the chambers about who was tough and who was stalling a bill that has been a top priority for years. Neither chamber ended up voting on the compromise.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell called the bill the toughest against illegal immigration in the country.

"If you're operating in bad faith, if you're hiring illegals, this state will have an aggressive monitoring system and a penalty system. And the message will go out loud and clear that you're going to abide by the laws in the state of South Carolina," the Charleston Republican said.

If the bill passes, the state Revenue Department would have to notify employers as early as July about new rules requiring them to verify their workers through a federal electronic system; a new paper-based system set up by the state; or with South Carolina-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.

Companies with more than 100 employers would have to comply in July 2009. Smaller employers would get a year longer.

Each technical violation, such as not having proper paperwork on hand, would cost an employer $100 for each illegal immigrant hired.

But employers knowingly breaking the law would face up to a $2,500 fine for each illegal immigrant on the payroll for a first offense. The fine can be as much as $5,000 for each worker on a second offense and $10,000 each for a third offense. An employer could also be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted of helping a worker fake documents.

Gov. Mark Sanford immediately criticized the legislation because it doesn't require employers to use the federal electronic verification system.

Senate Republicans should have forced the hand of Democrats who had threatened to filibuster the bill by keeping them on the floor through the night, Sanford said in a news release.

The governor has been sharply critical of past Senate efforts to pass a bill that relied on employers keeping copies of federal I-9 forms that show a worker's legal status.

But Sen. Larry Martin said South Carolina's system will involve regular audits of the new paperwork by the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, a step not taken with the federal system.

"Businesses that are going to push the envelope may want to take their chances with e-verify," the Pickens Republican said.

The bill also will set up a system for people to make written complaints about employers they think hire illegal immigrants, McConnell said.

Democrats left the Senate chambers saying they forced the House to take up sanctions on private-sector employers. In the House's version of the legislation, only contractors working with state or local governments had to verify the status of their workers.

"The House is not serious about immigration reform," said Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, noting the House has failed for more than a year to target private sector employers.

House leaders familiar with the legislation did not immediately respond to phone calls and e-mails from The Associated Press on Wednesday night.
http://www.thestate.com/statewire/story/391316.html

They will continue to hire from outside of the United States NO matter how many Citizens are AVAILABLE because the NON-Citizens are initially easier for the ILLEGAL EMPLOYER and the BIG FARM UNIONS to control. Just remember "My Friends" follow the money always the money!

Added to Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-3148--0-0.html

S.C. Senate bill S.392 is a trojan horse which substitutes paper I-9 for e-verify.
Federal law says that the fines on employers which S.392 proposes cannot be enforced.

Originally Posted by S.C. Governor Mark Sanford

. . . Yesterday, the Senate dropped the ball with their supposed immigration reform, a compromise bill that appears tougher than it actually is. But, I think if enough people make their voices heard, that could change. In the bill that passed yesterday the Senate put in fines that seem severe, but federal law says clearly that these fines are unenforceable. The Senate's bill also sets up a separate and costly South Carolina worker verification process that's based on a swiss cheese federal law (called I-9) currently being flouted by millions of illegal immigrants.

Given that the I-9 program has been ineffective to date, we favor E-verify. E-verify is a system enforced in five states that would require employers to confirm that their workers possess a valid South Carolina driver's license, or require them to use the online E-verify system to corroborate their legal status. When states use E-verify requirements, in contrast to the I-9 process, they're getting results. Arizona, for example, is reporting that illegal immigrants are already self-deporting from the state – in no small part because of E-verify.

Fortunately, leaders in the House have dedicated themselves to including an E-verify requirement – and not an option – in their version of the bill, and that's where you come in.

Would you make your voice heard? If you care about illegal immigration reform, we'd simply ask that you call or email your Senator and House member, or if you have the time, come to the Statehouse in Columbia on Tuesday, May 6, as the General Assembly goes back into session that day. Tell them in person that you want serious illegal immigration reform, because your voice will make the difference in whether or not we get real reform this year.

Thank you, and take care.

Mark