Thread: Massachusetts (2010)

Massachusetts (2010) Session

For More Info. Click this ALIPAC link

http://www.alipac.us/ftopic-189093-0.html
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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 290 FILED ON: 1/8/2009
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1793
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:
Garrett J. Bradley
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to illegal imigration.
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PETITION OF:
Garrett J. Bradley
3rd Plymouth

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION SEE HOUSE, NO. 149 OF 2007-2008.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the Year Two Thousand and Nine
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An Act relative to illegal imigration.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Chapter 149 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 189. Any business facility found to be employing illegal immigrants shall be closed and padlocked immediately for a period of 30 days.

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Action Taken:
House, No. 1793

Presented by: Garrett J. Bradley

For legislation to temporarily close businesses who employ illegal immigrants

1/20/2009
H Referred to the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

1/20/2009
S Senate concurred
Public Hearing date 1/27 at 10:30 AM in Hearing Room A2

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If you have any questions, I can be reached at 617-722-2520 or at Rep.GarrettBradley@hou.state.ma.us. For further information on issues affecting the Commonwealth and our district, visit www.garrettbradley.com.

Your Rep: Opposes tuition benefit for illegals

By Garrett Bradley
Special to the Journal
Posted Feb 22, 2010 @ 08:00 AM
Hingham —



You may have read recently that a bill to allow illegal or undocumented immigrants, residing in our state, to take advantage of the lower resident tuition rate at our public colleges was heard by the Higher Education Committee. Because the bill was filed on time, it must have a public hearing. It has not been debated and I do not expect it be this year. For the record, I oppose giving this benefit to people in this country illegally. My belief is we do not reward illegal behavior. Furthermore, if there is additional money available it should be utilized to reduce tuition and fees.

While we are on the subject of illegal immigration, I wanted to let you know that I filed legislation that would target businesses that employ illegal aliens here in Massachusetts. The bill, H.1793, is a re-file of similar legislation I proposed in the previous session. I have contacted the Chair of the House Committee on Labor and Workforce Development asking for the bill to be reported out favorably from the committee.

The legislation amends state labor laws by requiring that businesses found to be employing illegal workers be closed and padlocked for a period of 30 days. Such a closure would allow authorities to investigate the situation and make recommendations for further civil or criminal action.

While thousands of businesses across Massachusetts follow the laws governing employment of U.S. citizens and legal residents, a handful of companies fail to check the identities and work status of their employees. This illegal behavior cheats the taxpayers and law-abiding businesses, and must be prevented. With the number of people out of work businesses should be employing only legal citizens.

The legislation was inspired in part by recent cases in which companies have been caught employing illegal, undocumented immigrant workers. In March 2007, for example, a company in New Bedford was raided by local, state and federal authorities for employing 361 illegal immigrants.

As always I am happy to discuss this issue or any issue with you. If you have any questions, I can be reached at 617-722-2520 or at Rep.GarrettBradley@hou.state.ma.us. For further information on issues affecting the Commonwealth and our district, visit www.garrettbradley.com.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopic-189093-0.html

House # 3387 Massachusetts Security and Immigration Compliance Act

The Boston Globe
Bill to block illegal immigrants’ benefits fails
House’s margin narrows as calls to change system grow
By Michael Levenson
Globe Staff / April 29, 2010


The Democrat-controlled Massachusetts House came within a razor-thin margin yesterday of advancing a Republican proposal to block public benefits for illegal immigrants, a reversal from last year when opponents easily torpedoed the measure.
Discuss
COMMENTS (140)

Both sides said the unexpectedly close 75-82 vote reflected growing support for efforts to crack down on illegal immigration in Massachusetts, sparked by the recent passage of a stringent law in Arizona and frustration with stalled congressional efforts to overhaul the immigration system.

The House scuttled the GOP proposal by voting to study it further, a procedural tactic that was also used to quash the bill last year. But last year, the vote was 40-118.

“The issue of immigration is heating up again, primarily because of what’s going on in Washington and what’s going on in Arizona,’’ said Representative Jeffrey D. Perry, the bill’s sponsor, who has been making illegal immigration a centerpiece of his campaign for the 10th Congressional District.

Opponents of the bill offered similar reasons for the tight margin. “It’s really a very, very sad reflection of how much the anti-immigrant sentiment has been growing in Massachusetts, in our state, that is a welcoming state,’’ said one of the measure’s leading opponents, Eva A. Millona of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition. “It’s the Arizona effect in Massachusetts.’’

Perry’s measure, which the Sandwich Republican tried to add as an amendment to the House budget, would have required anyone receiving public benefits to be verified first by the Federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement program, or SAVE. Perry said his goal is to prevent illegal immigrants from gaining access to public housing, unemployment benefits, welfare, or workers compensation. He said lawmakers are concerned, in another tight budget year, about the cost of such benefits for illegal immigrants.

Representative Donald F. Humason Jr., a Westfield Republican, pointed to the case of President Obama’s aunt, Zeituni Onyango, who has been living in South Boston public housing and fighting a deportation order.

But Millona said that even now, few illegal immigrants apply for public benefits, for fear that they would risk deportation. Even legal immigrants have had their benefits, such as health care, restricted, she said.

However, Millona said the narrow vote in Massachusetts is another sign that Congress should act soon to pass legislation that would allow the nation’s 12 million illegal immigrants, including an estimated 190,000 here, to apply for legal residency.

“If Congress fails to act, then I think this is going to grow even more, and the country will be divided even more,’’ she said. “I think we’re at real risk of damaging the country and our principles.’’

Representative Jeffrey Sánchez, a Boston Democrat, said lawmakers, many of whom are facing Republican challengers this year, are under increasing political pressure to act on immigration.

“It’s an emotional issue for people in their districts, and not only that; it’s an election year,’’ said Sánchez, who opposed the bill. “Everybody’s concerned.’’

Republican gubernatorial candidate Charles D. Baker and independent candidate Timothy P. Cahill have expressed support for Perry’s proposal. “A shame that the Legislature killed Perry’s amendment today,’’ Baker wrote yesterday on Twitter. “It would have prevented taxpayer money from going to illegal immigrants.’’

Maria Sacchetti of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massac ... its_fails/


FYI

The same measure was also killed in April 2009 by essentially being shipped off to be studied.

A total of 35 Democratic representatives who voted to send the proposal off to a study in 2009, changed their minds and on Wednesday voted to keep it alive by voting against the study.

Those legislators include Reps. John Binienda (D-Worcester); Bill Bowles (D-Attleboro); Linda Campbell (D-Methuen); Christine Canavan (D-Brockton); Steven D'Amico (D-Seekonk); Paul Donato (D-Medford); Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead); James Fagan (D-Taunton); Christopher Fallon (D-Malden); Barry Finegold (D-Andover); David Flynn (D-Bridgewater); Thomas Golden (D-Lowell); William Greene (D-Billerica); Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough); Lida Harkins (D-Needham); Michael Kane (D-Holyoke); Robert Koczera (D-New Bedford); Timothy Madden (D-Nantucket); Allen McCarthy (D-East Bridgewater); Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham); Kevin Murphy (D-Lowell); Harold Naughton (D-Clinton); Matthew Patrick (D-Falmouth); Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown); Robert Rice (D-Gardner); Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport); John Rogers (D-Norwood); Dennis Rosa (D-Leominster); Michael Rush (D-West Roxbury); Harriett Stanley (D-West Newbury); David Sullivan (D-Fall River); Arthur Tobin (D-Quincy); Cleon Turner (D-East Dennis); Brian Wallace (D-South Boston) and James Welch (D-West Springfield).

Only one legislator, Rep. Walter Timilty (D-Milton), voted against the study in 2009 and then for it on Wednesday.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/t ... ial-report