Thread: Utah Legislature passes package of immigration bills

Utah Legislature passes package of immigration bills

Published: Friday, March 4, 2011 11:01 p.m. MST


SALT LAKE CITY — State lawmakers pushed through a series of bills touted as a Utah solution to illegal immigration, though it nearly crumbled like a House of cards late Friday night.

The package includes provisions for enforcement, a guest worker program, a migrant worker partnership with Mexico and employee verification and employer sanctions.

"This is an attempt to enact at the state level the very policies we have expected the federal government to enact for years," said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, one of the primary movers behind the effort.

Sen. Luz Robles, D-Salt Lake, whose bill was swallowed in the comprehensive approach, said Utah will be perceived nationally as a "state not scared of facing very complicated issues."

The Senate, primarily through Bramble, thought it had a deal with the House after passing several bills, including Rep. Stephen Sandstrom's enforcement-only and migrant worker partnership bills, and adjourning Friday evening. The bill passed easily and with no heated debate.

"We're set with immigration," Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said afterward.

But House members during heated and impassioned debate nearly shot down the lynchpin piece, Rep. Bill Wright's HB116 that contains a guest worker program. The Senate rolled enforcement and employee verification into that bill to create a comprehensive measure before sending it back to the House.

The House eventually passed the bill 41-32.

"I will call this what it is. This is pure and simple amnesty," said Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, one of the most ardent critics of allowing illegal immigrants to work in the state.

"That has done more harm to the state of Utah than anything we've ever done," he told supporters afterward.

Legislative attorneys attached a note to Wright's bill saying the guest worker program would be unconstitutional absent the federal government granting Utah authority to implement it. The bill calls for the program to start July 1, 2013, regardless.

Several House members said they couldn't support the the bill for that reason, even though they overwhelmingly passed it with the guest worker provision before the Senate amended it.

"It unconstitutional. Clearly," said Rep. Brad King, D-Salt Lake. "We shouldn't be wasting our time with it. We shouldn't be wasting our money with it."

The package came together in furious fashion late into the evening with the House and Senate hitting several some sticking points along the way. At one point in the hall outside House chamber, Bramble and Herrod threatened to work toward killing each other's bills.

The House initially took issue with an in-state tuition component for undocumented college students, but after meeting with House members, the Senate agreed to remove it. There is another bill working its way through the Legislature that will retain the benefit but make it tougher to get.

House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, said she expected the bill to pass but wanted everyone to have the opportunity to offer their opinions before the vote.

“This is an important issue and people have very strong feelings on both sides,â€

Utah just got SPANKED!!! Wait until the illegals flood their state and THEN see what they're saying! IT AIN'T GONNA BE PRETTY!!

I wonder if the Justice Department will sue Utah.

Originally Posted by jean

"I will call this what it is. This is pure and simple amnesty," said Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo, one of the most ardent critics of allowing illegal immigrants to work in the state.

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Doesn't this guy know he will bring down the wrath of Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder for talking like this?

Probably get arrested for being a white, Christian terrorist.

Utah's clueless about what they're doing. They keep trying to be "nice" to illegals by compromising and not realizing that what they're doing is equivalent to petting a rattlesnake. Let them learn a lesson the hard way and see what their incessant pandering to illegals will get them.

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If Sen. Luz Robles thinks this is a good bill, then Utah is really in trouble. I think most of the citizens know what is in store for us with this idiotic "guest worker" program and are really angry with the legislators right now.

Robles thinks any bill is good as long as it does not target "her kind of people"

Why does our government think we need guest workers? We have 25 million plus unemployed yet they are still shipping in as many foreigners as possible.

Wow! Cheap labor advocates in the Utah State Legislature just delivered a serious body blow to the average American worker in that state.

So much for Republicans in Utah standing for law and order. Looks more to me like they stand for migrant workers and money.

And how in the world can the State of Utah enter into immigration related deals with a mexican state? Then on top of that they can establish their own guest worker and amnesty plan? Of course the state will receive fees (penalties) for their accomodation. And obama is not screaming bloody murder yet about this being a Federal Matter and for them not to stick their nose into it!

Seems to me the only migrant workers needed are during tourist season so I will of course do my part and cross Utah off our list. That hurts too because we have enjoyed several trips to various places in Utah and there are so many great places that we would like to go back and visit but we want to feel safe where we travel, attend conventions etc. and we won't be able to do that in Utah now. Besides when the bottom line is it is about money, profit over patriotism, I do not want to give the traitors mine.

This defeat really stings. If we cannot win in Utah this is going to be a more difficult fight than I had previously envisioned.

Millions of Americans are out of work so the State of Utah and its business leaders place a call to mexico for its labor needs. I just cannot let that go. Traitors.

What am I missing here?