GA Lawmakers approve professional licenses for illegal immigrants after lobbying from
Lawmakers approve professional licenses for illegal immigrants after lobbying from Chamber of Commerce
Posted by: Scott A. Davis|April 27, 2021 |Categories Featured, Homeland Security, News
ATLANTA, GA – Georgia Lawmakers passed a series of bills last week that would allow illegal aliens in Georgia to apply for and obtain professional licenses. The bills now sit on the Governor’s desk for signature.
The Center for Immigration Studies called that action by the Georgia legislature concerning:
“Georgia’s state legislature — unless Gov. Brian Kemp takes corrective action — has made it easier for illegal aliens to get professional licenses in several occupations.
“While the actual negative labor market impacts (in terms of numbers) are modest, the symbolism is huge.”
The series of bills would allow illegal aliens to obtain professional licenses from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office to work as counselors, social workers, therapists, speech pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists, and other jobs.
In an article by The Center for Immigration Studies titled “Georgia Legislature Makes It Easier for Illegals to Get Professional Licenses,” David
North writes:
“At the moment, three parallel bills (HB 34, HB 268, and HB 395) have been passed by an inattentive legislature and are on the governor’s desk for signature, veto, or becoming law without his signature.
“The governor, who supported the earlier statutes on keeping illegal aliens out of these professions, has not made his position clear on the current matter.”
Georgia activist D.A. King with the Dustin Inman Society posted two letters from the executives with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce that lobbied state lawmakers to pass the legislative package.
The first letter was written by Chamber of Commerce Chief Public Affairs Officer David Raynor, who wrote to the Georgia House members:
“The Georgia Chamber of Commerce respectfully requests your favorable consideration in supporting House Bill 34… House Bill 34 would increase public access to audiology and speech language pathology be recognizing other states’ licenses in allowing these practitioners to operate in the state. “
The second letter written by Raynor asked for support from the Georgia House for House Bill 268, which allow out of state professional licenses to be honored for occupational therapists as well.
Neither of the letters points out that the changes to the law would allow illegal aliens to obtain these professional licenses. The Center for
Immigration Studies explained that current Georgia law was carefully constructed to avoid allowing illegal aliens from obtaining these licenses:
“Georgia currently has a carefully constructed technique for seeing to it that those illegally present in the U.S. do not get state professional licenses for a large range of regulated occupations, such as professional counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
“In effect, the Georgia legislature has deferred to these highly specialized professional associations the right to regulate who can work in these professions in the State of Georgia. Unfortunately, legislative eyes glazed over as the not-very-stimulating question of who can practice speech-language pathology in the state was discussed.”
North explained that the Chamber of Commerce used “sneaky” maneuvering to pass the bill package:
“Through a sneaky, indirect legislative maneuver, that structure is in danger of being demolished by causing Georgia to enter inter-state compacts on licensing these professions; by signing on to these compacts, the state would lose its current power to deny licenses to illegal aliens.
“The bills were sold to the legislature, according to immigration activist D.A. King, by stressing some of their other features, such as making it easier for military spouses to practice their professions in Georgia.”
North said that if the bills become law in the state, people might start paying closure attention to the issue of illegal immigration:
“There is a bit of irony here. For decades, the middle and upper classes in this country have paid little attention to massive flows of illegal aliens into the labor market, on the grounds that all those unskilled workers will not impact their livelihood personally, hence our scanty enforcement of immigration laws.
“But now, at least in Georgia, a few illegals will be able to start competing with the professionals. Will the citizen professionals notice?”
https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/...H30vh6EJYCL6jQ
